We'll Always Have Storybrooke
by OnceUponAShipper
Summary: Regina and Emma are no longer ripping out each other's throats. In fact, they're not even fighting. The Queen and the Savior are working together to find out who cast another curse, and they're doing it in Emma's infamous yellow Bug. But where do they go from there? What if there's more they haven't told each other? What if they broke this new curse... together?
1. Shattered Walls

Regina was always the first one to point out when someone had a terrible idea. She was the Queen, after all, and Queens knew best. It's just how the job went. There hadn't been a day in her life that she bit her tongue, not since Daniel had been unfairly yanked from her. It was a combination of two things: the realization that our existence on earth was too short to be anything but honest, and because she'd spent so long believing that she was always right, she didn't remember what it was like to be wrong. But then, she met the one person who changed it all; a woman who saw right through her bullshit: Emma Swan— which is why when the blonde Savior suggested they spend their time cooped up in a tiny enclosure, Regina's first instinct was to run.

The tension in the yellow Bug couldn't have been cut with a meat clever if Arnold Schwarzenegger had been the handler. Emma and Regina had been sitting there, waiting for what felt like an eternity. The draft from the former sheriff's- or current, Regina wasn't sure- sent chills down the mayor's spine. She shivered in her seat, but Emma acted as if she hadn't noticed; as if she hadn't found it just slightly adorable.

"Is he happy?" Regina wondered, succumbing to the deafening silence. The chirping crickets didn't count as sound, only as unnecessary noise. She clutched the coffee cup to her chest; the heat transmitted through the rest of her stiff body. Regina had never been in the revered, safety-hazard of a vehicle. She hadn't expected it to be so comfortable. Under any other circumstances, she would have been less rigid… possibly.

"Who? Henry?" Emma cocked an eyebrow, still keeping watch of the mayor's office. They'd left the lamp off, sure that if someone were to turn it on, he or she would be the one who cursed them all.

For once, Regina didn't have a snappy quip or sarcastic comeback. When it came to her son, her defenses were no match for her maternal instincts. "He has a… normal life?"

Emma broke away from her staring contest with the architecture and nodded to the woman beside her. "Yeah, he's good."

"That's not what I asked," Regina huffed. Her grip around her beverage tightened until she dented the paper and the substance sloshed around inside.

"Henry's happy," Emma responded carefully. Her red, leather jacket crinkled as she turned to look at her boss; she'd missed the familiarity of the coat, the empowerment she felt when wearing it.

The Queen's forehead wrinkled as she furrowed her brow. The lid on the container suddenly became rather intriguing, the way it dipped on one side and the small hole where the liquid is supposed to exit. She was fully aware of the green eyes that bore into her soul, and she was finding it difficult to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. "And he truly doesn't remember me? The town? His life here?"

Emma resisted the impulse to reach for Regina's hand, to comfort her somehow. Whoever she had been in the past, this was now. Regina wasn't the Evil Queen to her, she was just a mother in agony. "He remembers everything that you gave him. We both did until…"

"Until that wretched pirate intervened," Regina said bitterly. "The nerve of that man. You know, I could rip his heart out so fast-"

"Ok, let's not talk about crushing hearts," Emma suggested hastily.

"My dear, who said anything about crushing it?" the mayor smirked. The last time she'd shared such an expression with Emma was a few days ago- or, a year ago- when they were saying goodbye. Through everything, she was sure that no curse was powerful enough to wipe that day from her conscious. Regina observed the way Emma's golden curls hugged her shoulders and fell over her face, meticulously hiding her dimples. At one point in their relationship- if it could be called that- Regina absolutely detested Emma's jacket. Now, however, it was somewhat of a relief to see the brave woman in such recognizable attire. "What about you, Miss Swan? Are you happy?"

"Miss Swan, huh?" Emma snorted after nearly choking on her coffee. "It's been a while since anyone's called me that… especially you. To answer your question, I was happy, yeah."

"Not anymore?"

Emma craned her neck and stole another glance at the room, still no sign of any perpetrators. "I was living a life that wasn't mine," she sighed. "I had these memories of good times and I couldn't have asked for more. The problem was, they weren't real… not to me, at least."

"They were to me," Regina muttered under her breath.

Emma snapped her head up instantly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what you think it means." Regina brushed her dark hair behind her ear, further heightening her vulnerability. It was synonymous to opening the doors of her castle; allowing others to see her and her humanity. Her vibrant, cherry-colored lipstick was all Emma could focus on as her once-enemy spoke. "You may not have taken Henry for his first shots, but I did. I stuck the two dollars under his pillow when he lost his first tooth. I carried him in my arms through the hospital when he cut his leg and had to get six stitches."

"You gave me your life," Emma understood. Her jaw dropped to the gas pedal as the realization hit her. Regina had sacrificed more than anyone knew, and for that, Emma's respect for the woman only intensified. The powerful witch must have edited Henry's images to include Emma instead of the mother who raised him.

"Saying goodbye… it was the hardest decision I've ever had to make," Regina confided.

"You did what any parent would do; you gave him his best chance." The irony was all but lost on Emma. A few moments of awkward quiet interrupted their civility and sent the stubborn adults spiraling into their own worlds. "I bet Henry would get a kick out of this," Emma mused, an elbow on the windowsill.

"To what would you be referring to?" Regina implored. Her heart did somersaults at the mention of her son's name, just like it always did. It was more intense now that she knew he was in town.

Emma smiled coyly at her adversary and gestured to the space between them. "This," she repeated. "The two of us, in the same car, talking to each other without throwing punches or fireballs. He'd probably be relieved."

"Yes, I suppose he would, wouldn't he?" Regina bit back the tears that wanted so desperately to fall, as she was _not_ going to show Emma that much of her defenselessness. "Miss Sw- Emma, can I ask you… Why _did_ you come back? Why did you drink the potion? You could have gone on the rest of your life, and Henry's, without having to be the Savior again, but you chose not to."

Still no hint of trespassers in the building, Emma relaxed a bit and leaned back in her seat. "Because Henry would've done the same thing. He wouldn't have given any of it a second thought; he's a believer. I could hear his voice calling it Operation Storybrooke, or something like that." Regina let soft laughter escape, which amused Emma greatly. "I drank the potion because, if Hook was right, I could never forgive myself for not doing something. I couldn't let you guys have all the fun."

"I see," Regina breathed, her pulse equivalent to the speed of light. "Well, your parents are safe, if that's what you were worried about. Something must have happened in the last year, that much I'm sure of. I don't exactly have the need to destroy Snow as often as I used to."

"Hm, that's a part of it. I'm glad to see they're ok— I mean, they're more than ok, but anyway."

"Henry's father— Neal… If he's anything like Gold, he's all right as well." Regina tried to sound as sympathetic as possible, and whether or not Emma believed her was yet to be known. In an effort to prove her authenticity, Regina stopped fidgeting with the cup and glanced over at the Savior; she no longer avoided making eye-contact.

"Oh, I don't doubt that. I mean, he survived Neverland twice, right? But, that's not exactly what brought me here." That was as explicit as Emma could get without turning red in the face. She kept waiting for Regina to stop playing dumb, to get over her own pride, but so far, nothing. "Close, I'll give you that."

"For heaven's sake, Emma," Regina said the name with a different type of passion than she used to, "just say it. We don't have all night; we're on a- what did you call it- stakeout, aren't we?" Her flippancy didn't distract Emma, as much as she'd hoped.

"My god, you really don't know?" the blonde scoffed. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she shifted her coffee from one hand to the other and moved her whole body so that she was square with the other passenger. "I came back for you, Regina." The words slipped of Emma's tongue with overwhelming ease, much more than she'd expected, but less gracefully as she'd hoped. Her voice echoed in her mind on repeat, as if she wasn't aware of what she'd just said. She blushed as she locked eyes with Henry's other mother; she hadn't blushed in years.

Flustered, Regina turned away and stammered horribly. "I- I'm not… I'm not sure I understand— what?"

Emma inspected Regina's body language and analyzed the way she talked, though she didn't need her superpower to detect the lie. "You heard me; I didn't just come back for my parents or Neal. I came back for you—"

"Yes, yes, I got that," Regina waved a hand warily. "I meant, I don't understand _why_. After everything you've been through- after everything _I_ put you through… why would you ever want to do anything for me?" Now she'd done it. Regina tried to hide the tear that had broken free of its restraints and slid down her cheek, but Emma caught it- literally. The brush of her finger against Regina's skin gave the brunette goosebumps under her thick layers. When Emma leaned in, Regina pulled away faster than a bullet, far enough until she felt the window against her back. She struggled to regain composure, and eventually, her throat reopened. "This is not an option, Emma. Go back to your pirate or your thief- I could care less which one. They both have the maturity of 16 year-old boys."

"Ok, I know you well enough to sense when you're lying. The least you could do is return the favor; you know me, Regina," Emma whispered gently. "Look," she started, having observed a rare moment of the Queen's weakness, "I don't know a lot anymore. What used to make sense, doesn't anymore. And what used to be confusing makes sense now. I mean one morning I'm alone, the next, I have a son. And then another morning I have a son, and the next, I'm the Savior again. You may not remember the last year of your life, but I remember mine; I knew someone was missing, and it wasn't Neal or Hook. Walsh was nice guy and all, but you know, freaky shape-shifters aren't really my thing— don't ask." Lowering her voice, Emma formed her next statement purposefully. "It was you, Regina; you were the person missing."

"Do you honestly believe this is an appropriate time for your melodrama?" Regina snapped forcefully. Her husky, intimidating tone had returned, but it was only temporary. For, without any sort of warning, Emma closed the gap and pressed her lips against Regina's; the Queen instantly melted into the Savior's hold, eyes shut, unable to fight off the affections of Emma Swan. At some point, Regina felt tender knuckles under her chin, pulling her closer to Emma. In the midst of their intimate moment, something happened… something unexpected. Regina's eyes shot open and 12 month's worth of memories came flooding back to her like a slideshow on fast forward: arriving in the Enchanted Forest, meeting the infamous Robin Hood, Robin Hood's son, the sleeping curse, and… and the woman who had doomed them all.

After another lifetime passed, Regina finally broke away from physical contact. "What's wrong?" Emma frowned, disappointed that the kiss had ended.

"I remember," Regina murmured absentmindedly. She touched her lips with an numb finger, utterly astounded. "The curse— it's broken."

"What? Seriously? Are you sure? How?" Emma rattled rapidly, though she already had her suspicions.

When Regina peered over at Emma again, who was squinting in deep thought. It was as if a curtain had pulled back and she was seeing the sheriff in a new light; rather, one that had been dimmed for quite some time. Everything that they'd been through together- the wraith, the angry mob of townspeople, battling over Henry time and time again, that night outside of Granny's, the diamond, _their magic,_ even Neverland- it all made sense; the pieces fit together perfectly and completed the puzzle. Everything had been put into perspective in a matter of seconds. So quietly that Emma had to strain to hear her, Regina revealed the only explanation for her recollections being returned, "The way curses are always broken: True Love's Kiss."

* * *

**A/N** - Hello, dearies! I hope you liked that little story. I was thinking of it as a one-shot, but if you all want to see more, I'm open to it. Since "The Queen's Savior" was about their return to the EF and then coming back to Storybrooke, I wouldn't want to bore you with another AU. It's up to all you, lovely folks. Anyway, "The Price of Magic" is coming to a close with a short fic following closely after. If you have any requests, feel free to PM me! Oh, and please let me know what you think of this one. Feedback _really _helps, so reviews are much appreciated!


	2. A Night to Remember

"Emma, this isn't a good idea!" Regina fought to keep up with the blonde's long strides, but she could only gain so much distance in four-inch heels. It didn't exactly help that the wind seemed to be rooting against her, pushing her backwards every time it blew past.

Several feet ahead of the mayor, Emma soldiered on, clenched fists at her sides, fierce determinism in her veins. "You said the curse broke, right? Well, there's only one way to find out for sure."

Main Street was barren, save for the few vehicles that lined the sidewalks. Most people were inside, moping alongside friends. Amidst the gloomy darkness of the evening, the streets lights were on and shone down on the bickering women. A lot had happened in just a few minutes, neither Emma or Regina had been able to recover from it completely. They still weren't totally sure t hadn't been some bizarre, shared dream.

"It's too dangerous; what if he doesn't remember me?" Regina asked, still trying to match Emma's pace.

"Then at least we'll know that we tried, now come on!" Emma backpedaled just enough to grab Regina's hand, and oddly enough, the brunette didn't pull away. If anything, she found the Savior's touch to be somewhat soothing, like a security blanket she was suddenly afraid of losing.

Emma yanked open the doors of the apartment complex, still towing Regina, and stomped up the long flights of stairs. Their footsteps enough should have alerted the entire building that something was up, or at least shaken them out of their dazed states. The blonde wasn't exactly known for her tactfulness.

When they got to the Charmings' residence, Emma and Regina let go of each other's hands and said nothing. They made a silent agreement not to bring it up. Regina just hoped no one had seen them outside, skipping together like schoolgirls; oh, the mortification if anyone found out!

Before Emma got the chance to knock, the door flew open and revealed a heavily pregnant Snow. Her pixie-cut hair was sept to one side and her palm rested against her bulge, as if to comfort her unborn child. It felt as if hours went by before Snow broke the silence with a grave exhale. "We've got a problem."

"Mom?" a young voice from inside called out. Regina all but knocked Snow aside to find Henry lounging on a chair, distractedly by his handheld gaming console. Emma followed closely behind and gave Regina a "just a sec" eyebrow raise.

"Kid?" the blonde tested the waters. She slowly advanced on her son, her own breathing kept her grounded. It was the moment of truth.

Henry tossed his device next to him and slide out of his seat, taller than Regina had remembered him. Her heart sunk to the very pit of her stomach when she realized he was talking to Emma- his other mother. "Hey, did you know that clock's been stuck on the same time since we got here?" Henry asked, his voice at least several octaves lower than last year.

"I did, it's uh, a tradition," Emma fibbed weakly. "Listen Kid, lemme ask you, do you know who this is?" she lead him towards Regina by the shoulder and waited for some light of recognition in his face.

"Yeah," Henry mumbled, sparking a flare of relief in Regina. "You're the lady who dropped the cup at the diner, right?" A frantic look was exchanged between the three women, and it wasn't lost on Henry; any bubble of hope that swelled in Regina's chest had just been suffocated. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, Henry, you didn't," Emma dismissed. "But, she's more than the lady from the diner, Kid. She's the mayor of Storybrooke; her name's Regina Mills."

Henry extended his hand like a gentleman and thrust it forward, "It's nice to meet you." His formality not only broke Regina's heart, but Snow and Emma's as well.

It took the Queen everything she had in her to repay the pleasantry without spontaneously combusting. "It's certainly nice to meet you too, Henry. Your mother's told me a lot about you. Maybe someday I could show around the town, give you a tour?" No one would know it, but there was a fire terrorizing Regina's insides, engulfing her very existence. She felt as if she were choking on the smoke, gagging for her life. No one would be able to detect her suffering, except for Emma.

"Sure, that'd be cool," Henry bellowed. "Mom? Can I go back to my game?" he asked Emma.

"Uh, yeah, go ahead." The mothers of Henry Mills watched him return to his spot in the living room, turn his console back on, and tune out the rest of the world.

Just as Emma was about to- discreetly- comfort Regina, David and Hook came charging in with similarly morose expressions. "We need to talk," Prince Charming proclaimed.

With one last look at her son, Regina joined the rest of the adults in the tightly packed circle they'd formed in the hallway. The only open spot was right next to Emma. "What's wrong?" the blonde wondered with fake innocence.

"You're the Savior, you tell us," Hook chided. "It seems as if people have regained their memories."

"Like me," Snow confessed.

"And me," said David. "I think we may have just redefined 'rude awakening.' We've got some news, but first, does wanna explain how it happened? How exactly did this curse break?"

"I think the more important question here is, who else remembers?" Regina demanded. While it served as a redirect from the inevitable topic, it also sent a thousand needles through her skin as she thought to Henry, who clearly still had no idea who she was.

"We don't know," David responded for both himself and Hook. "It's too early to tell, but I wouldn't doubt it. I have a feeling it's going to be pandemonium soon, and not like the last time… worse."

Snow frowned at her daughter and noted the way she kept peering over at Regina, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She may not have known Emma for a long as she would hoped, but she knew her daughter well enough to sense something wasn't right. "Emma, how _did_ the curse break?"

Her daughter's spine stiffened as if she were a marionette puppet being pulled by strings. "Ok, here's the thing… the thing is… well, Regina and I," Emma started with a venomous glare from Regina, "we, uh, we…"

"We're not exactly sure how it happened, Snow, but it no longer matters. All the matters now is finding who did this to us. And I know exactly who to go to," Regina seethed, the image of the green woman as fresh in her mind as if their first meeting were yesterday.

"Like we needed any more good news, we found Little John. The problem is, he's not so little any more," David exhaled, his forehead glistening with sweat.

"What do you mean?" Snow pressed.

"The man's been turned into a flying monkey; happened right in front of us," Hook said.

Emma's drop slackened, "Flying monkey? Wait- like—"

"The Wicked Witch," Regina, Snow, and David all said in choral unison.

"Of course, yeah, no, that makes total sense… Dunno why I didn't think of her before," Emma droned flatly. "Ok, we need a plan." She drummed her fingers against her thighs, already forming a strategy in her head. It was a long shot, but for the time being, it was all they had. "Mary Margaret, can you watch Henry for an hour? David, Hook, gather everyone you can into City Hall. Whoever did this wouldn't be stupid enough to show up if they knew everyone remembered. Regina and I'll meet you guys there soon."

Everyone nodded in agreement of the arrangement and no one thought to question Emma's choice of pairing. And while Regina was somewhat miffed at the sheriff for suggesting such a collaboration, there was something she had to tell the blonde- something no one else knew. So, she went along with the Savior, just a few steps behind her. Whatever thoughts were floating in Emma's conscious, the Queen would soon find out.

* * *

"Look, I'm sorry about Henry. I should've been thinking clearly," Emma said as they filed into the mayor's office. Everything was just as they left it; magical chemistry set and all. No one had been in there, and no one had tampered with any of their toys. Their trap had failed.

"Yes, well, I'd be naive to assume it would have been so easy," Regina said, her hard exterior restored to its formal glory. "Now, what are we doing here? It's obvious it didn't work."

Emma peeked out the window and scanned the road; there was no one around. "First off, are you really gonna act like nothing happened? Like you and I weren't the ones to break the curse?"

Regina walked around the open space, her heels clacking against the tile. Even in distress mode, Emma was deeply attracted to the woman; the way Regina carried herself so confidently, so carefree. "Like I told your father, dear, how it happened is not of any importance. The person responsible for all of this is here, in Storybrooke."

"The Wicked Witch of the West?" Emma asked skeptically.

"That would be correct," the mayor affirmed. "I can assure you, she's not like any of the stories you may have heard. Hopefully, you've learned enough by now to know nothing is what it seems." Still turned away from Emma, Regina continued. "The woman who enacted this curse isn't like any of the other 'characters' we've faced, Emma. She's ruthless, conniving, cunning, and extremely powerful."

Emma snorted and tossed her head back. "Yeah, doesn't sound familiar at all."

"Think what you must, but we are _nothing_ alike."

"So, how do we get her? Dump some water on her?"

"Do you think this is a joke?" Regina snarled, her grip tightening around her gloves. She spun around gracefully, never losing her balance. For the first time since the car, she locked eyes with Emma and really saw her. "You have no idea what she's capable of. Unfortunately neither does everyone else." At Emma's confused expression, Regina clarified. "They know _of_ her, but they no one actually _knows_ her, other than myself. We had a… complicated few months."

"Why do I not like the sound of that?"

"Look, our only two options here are to stay here and leave this town in anarchy, or we work to find a way to fix this," Regina declared. "It's your choice."

Taking one step closer to the guarded woman, Emma folded her arms across her chest. "Fine. Since you seem to know her so well, tell me what to do. How do we catch her?"

Regina lowered her head slowly until she was staring at the floor. "That is the question, my dear, isn't it?"

* * *

If Emma thought the riot from earlier was bad, this was absolute chaos. The angry mob of residents' blended shouting made it nearly impossible for Emma to get their attention. Even on the stage, no one so much as acknowledged her existence. Between herself, David, Hook, and Regina, they were all invisible. That is, until Regina shot her arms out and sent everyone falling to their seats, unable to stand up.

"Regina!" a man with a British accent grunted, stuck in the crowd of people.

"Do you know him?" Emma whispered to the brunette. Frozen, Regina suppressed the urge to disappear in another cloud of smoke. The frantic worry in Robin Hood's eyes still got to her, after everything that had just happened.

"What's _she_ doing here?" Leroy demanded, bringing Regina out of her daydream. The head dwarf was struggling valiantly to wrestle out of his chair, as were the last of his brothers.

Emma was about to defend the Queen when Charming stepped forward. "If you remember anything at all, then you know Regina's on our side," he assuaged. "She's not the enemy here."

"Yeah? Then why'd she use magic on us?" Granny argued.

Regina merely scoffed as if Granny's comments were nothing more than drivel. "In case you didn't notice, you all were behaving like wild animals. I merely domesticated you."

"Not helping," Emma hissed. With dozens of anxious citizens waiting for some answers, Emma hopped off the stage and walked up to the first row of chairs. "Here's the thing; the curse is obviously broken. You guys have your memories back. I know there might be some holes, but I promise you, we _will_ get whoever did this. And it is **_not _**Regina."

"How do we know they're not here in Storybrooke?"

"What if they're trying to kill all of us?"

"Is it true it's the Wicked Witch?"

It started with one voice and then escalated to the rest of the room rising in an uneven chorus. Their blended mutterings were enough to cause another earthquake. Eventually, it was impossible to differentiate who was speaking. Emma tried to raise her hands and get everyone's attention again, but it was useless. The room had lost its sanity.

In the end, the small fraction of heroes scurried outside and left the mob to their own devices. The moment Regina stepped out the door, the binding spell she'd used on them lifted. The group made it halfway down the road when people began pouring out of City Hall. At the forefront of the stampede was Robin Hood.

David and Hook were already more than half way back to the apartment, but Emma and Regina were lagging. "Regina!" the thief called out as he sprinted to the Queen, a little too close for Emma's comfort.

"Whoa, buddy, I know this world might be different but— wait, you're the guy from the border, aren't you? With your, um, Merry Men?" Emma titled her head. "No way… you're Robin Hood, aren't you?"

"You're correct," the man in the peacoat nodded. "You must be the daughter of the prince and princess. 'Ve heard a lot about you." Robin wasn't too concerned with the blonde woman, as he moved onto his target. "There is much we need to discuss, Regina. I think you know what I'm referring to."

As if it hadn't already been an eventful evening, Regina silently cursed herself and her sister, both of whom were responsible for this predicament in her mind. She felt Emma's heavy breathing next to her, the heat that arose from the blonde. Whether it was jealously to bewilderment, Regina wasn't sure. By now, though, the rest of the town was scattered along Main Street. Some were still buzzing with the news of the curse, and some were gawking at the scene before them. "Another time. There's business I have to attend to," informed curtly.

Robin lifted Regina's hand and placed a kiss on the back, bowing low enough to peer up at the Queen. "As you wish, m'lady."

Soon, Emma and Regina were alone again, on their way to the Charmings' home. "So, you wanna tell me what that was about?"

Infuriated by Emma's casual busybody-ness, the brunette fumed with rage. "I know this may be difficult for you to understand, Emma, but just because you're the Savior, doesn't mean you're entitled to the knowledge of everyone's life. I don't care what you think happened tonight, it doesn't change anything between us!"

Not impressed by Regina's irritated rant in the slightest, Emma rolled her eyes. "You know I'll find out one way or another. You can't hide it forever."

When they got to the front doors, Regina stopped short and sucked in a breath. "Henry," she gasped, the realization that he wouldn't be going home with her bulldozed into her. "He'll be safe with you tonight." It wasn't a question.

Emma heard her loud and clear. "Nothing's gonna happen to him. I won't let it."

* * *

When Regina got home, she went straight up to Henry's room. It was just as he'd left it; the bed was made, his clothes were all put into his drawers, his desk was clean, and the Book sat on his pillow, waiting for its owner to return. She'd been avoiding his room for days, or for however long it had been. She couldn't even bring herself to pass by it in the hall. Regina had kept the door closed, caging in his scent; the smell of the Old Spice Neal had passed down onto the boy wafted through the entire space.

With the book hugged to her chest, Regina sat on her son's bed, much like she had after his time in the hospital. For the first time in days, she let her heart feel it all. A waterfall of tears splashed down her cheeks as she rocked herself back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. She began hyperventilating so violently, she'd completely lost control. Henry didn't even know her name; he remembered _nothing_ about her. A handshake? He'd given her a handshake? What Regina wouldn't have done just for one last hug, one more moment of him in her arms.

This was a different kind of pain than the last time, however. Henry hadn't consciously chosen Emma over Regina like he did when the first curse was broken. He didn't see her as the Evil Queen or anything like that. He just didn't remember Regina or how much she loved him. She was sure he must have felt something, but it wasn't enough to override the magical gift she'd given him.

_'Gift' _she sneered to herself. It wasn't a gift. It had seemed like it at the time, but now, it felt like a curse… another one. They'd gone through all of that, saying goodbye to their loved ones, getting a year wiped from their mind only to return, and Regina still didn't have her son. To her, that was the worst price imaginable.

Even in the depths of her grief, Regina knew that in the morning, her thirst for blood would return to its formal dominance; the one thing she wanted now more than her son- if that was possible- was revenge. She was the Evil Queen, dammit. If she wanted someone's heart, then she'd get it. And she already had a victim in mind.

* * *

Somewhere deep in the heart of the forest, a woman stood by the well. Her vivid red curls bounced as she stepped closer to the stone structure and glanced down through the dark pit. She'd felt the warmth earlier that night; the tidal wave of… joy. It was disgusting. The very moment she saw that annoying Australian bookworm drop her things in the library, she knew: someone had broken through her curse.

All of her hard work had been for nothing. Everything- her plans, her years of strategizing- had been thrust down the toilet. Soon, everyone would remember. Well, the only person who mattered would: Zelena's dear, dear sister Regina. The Wicked Witch had no doubt in her mind the Evil Queen would be after her soon enough with the entire kingdom behind her.

But, the more Zelena thought about it, the less her fury tightened around her like a boa constrictor. Regina was the _only one_ who knew who she truly was. No one else in town had the pleasure of meeting the Wicked Witch back in the Forest. So far, everyone knew her as Zelena. She was just a stranger to them and to Snow White. If she played her cards right, if she used the teachings of Rumplestiltskin, Zelena could still end up on top. She had a feeling her sister would use her own common sense and keep their secret; if there was one thing she'd learned about Regina, it's that the Evil Queen was meticulous, not impulsive. Revealing their connection would indeed be impulsive. No one would ever suspect a thing, not even that meddlesome Savior. The Wicked Witch could still win.

Speaking of the Dark One, Zelena realized, it was just about his dinner time.

* * *

**A/N** - Hello, dearies! Wow! Thanks so much for the amazing responses. My readers have spoken, so here you are! I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Yes, everyone remembers, except Henry :-( Obviously, since the Bug scene was different here, it rippled and caused different affects on the following scenes after that. Meaning, it won't exactly line up with OUAT's storyline. There will be some similarities to the episodes (wasn't last night intense?), but I'll put my own spin on them ;-) Much more to come soon!


	3. A Harsh Truth

"We need a new plan," Emma decided the next morning. She stood around the kitchen island with her parents, Hook, and Regina, while Henry took a shower. None of the adults had gotten any sleep and it was obvious from their full cups of coffee, except for Snow; she drank tea. Making sure she could still hear the water running in the bathroom, Emma inhaled deeply and addressed their band of misfits. "Now that we know who it is we're dealing with, and that she's in town, we've gotta be extra careful about how we do this. One wrong move, and who knows what the hell she'll do this time."

"What do you propose, then?" Regina asked pointedly. "Go on a scavenger hunt and follow some clues? I don't think so, not when Henry's safety is at risk."

"You got any better ideas?" the blonde countered. When Regina had nothing to offer, Emma took that as a "no." "First thing's first, I guess. What exactly do you all remember?"

"Everything," David and Snow responded together. Regina was somewhat surprised that she didn't find it as revolting as she used to. "Going home, taking back the castle, the monkeys, Rapunzel—"

"Sorry, did you just say Rapunzel?" Emma wanted to know. She still had that pained look, the one that said, "I've got a headache." Shaking off her impending migraine, Emma went on. "Uh, ok, so basically nothing's been left out," Emma jumped in. "There aren't any missing pieces or anything?"

"For the record, Swan, I never actually forgot," Hook raised his… hook. He seemed quite proud of himself, as if his success should be celebrated.

Emma ignored the pirate's unnecessary comments and brought the focus back to the group. Everyone was waiting for her, the Savior, to say something. "Ok, so what do we know so far? Flying monkeys, green skin—"

"We're cursed in Storybrooke, Emma, she'll look like us," Regina said a bit impatiently. "Is this really how we're going to waste our time?" In an attempt to lower her temper, she pinched the bride of her nose and blinked slowly. "Someone needs to protect Henry. Now that everyone's got their memories back, he's bound to hear something odd."

"Are you volunteering?" Emma wondered.

The brunette whipped her hair over her eyes and started buttoning her coat. "Well, I _am_ qualified."

"You're also one of our most powerful assets," Emma piped. She felt the flare in her cheeks and prayed that no one else noticed. Regina did, though. She always noticed. "What I mean is, we could use your magic."

"You have your own," the mayor waved. "I'm just a phone call away." Regina started gathering her things when Emma touched her elbow. "Can I help you with something?"

"Look, just be careful, ok? As far as Henry's concerned I'm on a case and you're Madame Mayor to him."

"Well, look who's gotten good at lying," Regina smirked. Emma didn't exactly find the comment funny, and neither did anyone else. In fact, Hook and the Charmings were starting to wonder what was really going on between the women. "I'm well aware of who he thinks I am," Regina added forcefully. Feeling the burn of their stares, she relaxed and stood tall; she wasn't going to let them see her moment of vulnerability- not like Emma. "He won't find out anything he's not supposed to."

"Guess that's all I can ask." Emma knew her lips were moving, but she wasn't exactly confident of what she was saying. The words just took on a life of their own and made their meaning known.

"I'll be downstairs when Henry's ready. Just send him my way." With that, Regina tiptoed out of the apartment rather undramatically. Emma was left to watch the back of the woman who was apparently her True Love.

When the moment passed, when Emma landed back on planet earth, she turned and found the other three looking everywhere but at her; they couldn't have been any more obvious. "Ok, new plan, then?"

* * *

While Emma, the drunk, and the two idio— royals devised a new strategy, Regina was savoring her time with Henry. She'd bought him an ice cream cone, something she'd never done before. She didn't used to indulge his sweet tooth, but this was different. In a way, it was like she was still acting as his mother, even if he didn't know it.

The two strolled through a part of Storybrooke Regina seldom went to. A concrete trail curved through the empty forest, right next to a pond. Ducks and other winged beasts flapped wildly as they swam around each other. Ironically enough, a white swan was among the creatures; its stare fixated on Regina as if knew her innermost thoughts and desires.

"Well, how does it taste?" Regina asked with a kind smile. When she looked at the young man beside her, he was just that: a young man. The top of Henry's head reached her nose, she didn't even have to bend down to speak to him anymore. A lot happened in a year.

"It's awesome," Henry said, one hand in his pocket, the other wrapped around the cone. "My mom used to take my little league team out for gelato. But this is just as good."

"Storybrooke's got its perks, I'll admit. I know it may not seem like much compared to New York, though." Regina stared straight on ahead, as she knew that if she let herself make eye-contact with Henry, she may just reveal everything.

"It's not too bad, actually," said the teenager, a little surprised at his own admission. "New York's cool and all, but sometimes, even with all the people there, you feel…"

"Alone," Regina finished his thought. She knew the feeling well; in a place where she'd once ruled over the inhabitants, it meant nothing if she didn't have someone to share it with. "But that's the nice thing about smaller towns: everyone knows everyone. It's like… it's like a big family…" As she said it, it dawned on her just how much she'd come to rely on the people around her, including Emma. Whether she liked it or not, the Savior was now one of the few people she could actually trust.

Henry and Regina continued down the path for a bit until he slowed to a stop. "Can I tell you something?"

Overcome with joy that Henry felt comfortable enough to confide in her, Regina said, "Sure."

The young man positioned himself in front of the mayor and now, she had to look at him. She did, however, manage to keep a lid on all of her emotions. Henry's hazel spheres lured her in and she was reminded of the first time she'd held him. When he opened his mouth, his changing voice startled her. "I don't think it was just the case that brought my mom to Storybrooke."

Afraid that he was starting to catch on, Regina shifted. "Uh, what do you mean?"

Shaking his ice cream unintentionally, Henry verbalized his thoughts quite eloquently, more so than Regina was prepared for. "I think she needed time away from the Big City."

"Wh- why do you think that?"

"My mom's boyfriend, Walsh, well, he proposed to her," Henry explained.

Almost as if she'd been slapped in the face, Regina felt the wind knocked out of her. It would seem as if she wasn't the only one who was hiding something. And now that she thought about it, Emma had mentioned a fellow of that title, but Regina hadn't worried herself over it. "Oh" was all she could say.

"The next thing I know, she's taking a job in Maine?" Henry asked, though it was rhetorical question. "My mom never takes a job anywhere if it involves me missing school."

"What do you think happened, then?" Regina wanted to know for two reasons: one, to hear Henry talk even longer, and two, to find out what really happened with Emma and the man Henry mentioned.

"Dunno," Henry shrugged. "But we probably wouldn't be here if she said yes."

"And how did you fell about it? Did you like this… Walsh." The man's name was laced with more venom than she'd intended, but she couldn't exactly help it. The nerve of Emma and her hypocrisy.

"I liked how happy he made her," Henry said without missing a beat. "And, you know, it would've been nice to have more than two place settings at holidays." He gave Regina a faint smile, though she saw right through it. Where his mature sense of bravery tried to emerge, his youthful helplessness followed closely behind.

Although she knew that she couldn't make an definite promises, Regina also knew what her son needed now more than ever was reassurance. "I think one day you'll have more family than you'll know what to do with," she murmured.

Henry flashed his teeth, "You think so?"

With a genuine grin, Regina resisted the overwhelming urge to pull him in for a hug. "I really do."

* * *

With her mind stuck on Regina and Henry, Emma jumped back as Hook hacked at a bush of berries. David had said they grew in the forest, but she wasn't expecting so many red marbles. It was as if they'd been grown their purposefully and methodically. How they were still thriving in the frigid cold, Emma had no clue.

"Here we are, Swan, together again," the pirate mused. "Just like old times, eh?" The gravel beneath the man's boots crunched loudly, and sent Emma shuddering. "Come on, love. You can't say this isn't a bit exciting?"

"I can, and I will. This ins't a bit exciting," Emma said through gritted teeth.

Hook's childish manner was quickly shed as he slashed through another branches of berries. "Thinking of Neal, Swan?"

"No, I'm— uh, I mean, yeah, you caught me. I'm… thinking of Neal." As she said it though, Emma realized she actually hadn't been giving much thought to the father of her child. A blanket of guilt wrapped around her as it hit her that the only person who infiltrated her thoughts was Regina. It wasn't everyday that you found your, supposed, True Love and broke a curse with them.

"I may not be the Seer, but I'm sure he's all right," Hook said amicably. If he could help it, he wasn't going to let his jealously be known any more than it already had.

"Or could've already been turned into a flying monkey," the blonde said cynically.

"Wouldn't be the first time, would it?" Hook chided, though he regretted it the moment he said it.

"Let's get one thing straight here, ok?" Emma planted her feet firmly into the ground and set her hands on her hips. The impulse to come clean was all too real, but she knew it wasn't the right time. She had Hook's attention, that was for sure. How she used it was another issue. "Whatever you think is gonna happen between us, probably won't. I'm not interested in a relationship right now; I just wanna get the creep who did this, got it?"

"I find that hard to believe, Swan. After all, who was it that convinced you to drink that potion?" Hook had the most arrogant smirk Emma had ever seen on a person, and one thing was for sure: she never wanted to see it again.

Controlling her rapidly increasing temper, Emma glared at the cocky pirate. "Just because you got me back here, doesn't mean that I did it for you."

"Feisty, are we?" Hook folded his arms over his chest.

Before he had the chance to react, a hand came down and made contact with the side of his cheek; a hot stinging shot through his entire body. "Don't be sexist, Hook. It's not attractive."

They spent the rest of their journey in silence, except for the hawks and frogs expelling their natural sounds. It wasn't a pleasant travel, by any means, but they'd come too far to turn back now. The sooner they found what they were looking for, the better.

Emma and Hook's boots left footprints in the fresh snow as they climbed up the steep hill. She thought she'd seen something back in the woods and when the tiny dwelling came into view again, she knew it had to be important. "A farm house?" Hook bemused. "That's it?"

Already done with his juvenile attitude, Emma scanned the yard for anyone else. "It's all we've got."

* * *

Regina and Henry were walking back into town, a feeling of resolve settled within her. It had been painful, yes, but spending the day with Henry was better than nothing at all, even if she was just Madame Mayor. He laughed in ways she hadn't heard him laugh before, she saw a new confidence in his being. It was clear that whatever Emma had been doing with him in New York, it had to have been good.

Regina shielded Henry from the various characters of Storybrooke as best she could. She deflected his questions and changed the subject numerous times. It was getting harder the more people they passed, and it only become truly difficult when a stranger approached them.

"Regina, do you have a moment?" Robin Hood asked calmly. Henry saw the bearded man and the way he addressed Regina; there was a tenderness to his voice that others seemed to lack.

"Not exactly, no," the woman said with an anxious glance at her son.

"I think I can find my way back to the apartment," Henry suggested. "If you two want a minute-"

"Yes."

"No," Regina and Robin answered together. "All right, but make sure to go straight there. Don't stop for anyone," she instructed the boy. Although he found the directions odd, Henry followed them to a T, Regina made sure of it. She followed him with her eyes until he disappeared into the home of countless other characters, sure that he was safe within those four walls. When she turned back to Robin, he looked rather confused.

"He's your son, isn't he? The one you mentioned before?" the hero deciphered. The name Henry rang a bell, but he didn't dare say it. As a parent, he understood that children's names are sometimes considered sacred and not to be used by strangers. Then again, Robin and Regina weren't strangers.

"What is it that you want?" Regina asked tersely. "As you can see, we're quite busy cleaning up this… mess."

He saw the way she had trouble keeping composure; not a lot of people would be able to read her the way he could, except for maybe Emma, but the blonde woman wasn't a concern of Robin's right now. The last he remembered of Regina, she was in her Enchanted Forest getup: black dress, pinned up hair, low collar. Now, in clothes made from this world, she looked less… powerful.

People were starting to stare again through shop windows and on the street, and Robin was aware of the Queen's firm protection of her privacy. So he made it brief. "I merely wanted to see that you were all right. Is that not what suitors do?"

Regina opened her mouth to dispute the man's haughty assumption of his privilege and was fully prepared with a fiery comeback, when Emma and Hook pulled up in the yellow Bug. She never thought she'd be so glad to see the Savior and pirate more than she was right then. However, once her relief subsided, she wondered what Emma and Hook were doing together. She'd been sure that David was supposed to be with them.

To her own mortification, Regina's face said just that. As Emma came closer, she looked directly at the brunette. "We found something," she explained curtly. "Something you gotta see."

Regina all but saluted to the sheriff and gave Robin her best apologetic look. "As I said, we're quite busy." Emma made note of the way Regina said "we." But, she also caught the blatant tension between Robin Hood and Regina; something was definitely up.

"Regina, please. This is important as well," the other man pleaded. He seemed a bit too comfortable being so informal with the brunette, and that too bothered Emma. It had taken her months to stop referring to Regina as "Madame Mayor," who did this guy think he was?

"Regina," Emma said with more conviction. "Are you coming or not?"

"Of course!" the mayor snapped. She made no effort to apologize to Robin, but instead, walked away and left the man standing alone on Main Street. It didn't feel as gratifying as she'd hoped it would have.

Hook, still unaware of true nature Regina and Emma's relationship, hobbled a few feet ahead of them. They were going to get David before returning to the eery farm house; it never hurt to have some back up. Besides, what was more intimidating than Prince Charming, Captain Hook, the Evil Queen, and the Savior coming after you? The only two missing were Rumplestiltskin and Snow White.

"So, what was all that about?" Emma asked flippantly. She didn't want to come across as too strong, but she had to know. The way Robin acted towards at Regina, it was clear he held a deep affection for the woman.

Maintaining several feet between herself and Emma, Regina kept her hands in her pockets. "I don't see how that's of any concern to you," she said. "He's not the one we're after."

"He's sure as hell after something, Regina. What's going on? What aren't you telling me?"

The last thing anyone wanted was a full-on confrontation, especially not a real one. Emma had seen Regina's magic and what she could do when she was angry; an earthquake was the least of her worries.

"I could ask you the same thing, Emma," Regina spat. She used every ounce of self-control in her being to keep her voice down, but the fury could not be hidden. "It seems as though I'm not the only one with a secret, hm? Someone by the name of Walsh ring a bell?"

At this point, Hook had stopped to watch the interaction behind him, unsure of whether or not to intervene. After all, he only had one good hand. If either of the women began throwing punches, his chances of breaking it up were slim. "Ladies," he jumped in guardedly, "perhaps you'd like to talk inside?"

But Emma dismissed his attempts to pacify them. "Oh please," she griped, "it's not like I've told anyone else! Even David and Mary Margaret don't know."

"That is not the issue here, Emma. The issue is your outright duplicity! You said nothing of a fiancee, why should I have done the same?" Regina wished she could take it back as soon as the words escaped her mouth. The vein in her forehead was pulsing and her ears had turned the color of her modest lipstick.

It was as though Emma had just lost all sensation in her hands and legs; she wasn't even sure if she was still standing. She prayed with every fiber of her soul that Regina was lying, that she'd just said it to hurt Emma. But she used her superpower on the woman; Regina was telling the truth. Painfully conscious of the scene they were making, and that Hook was across from them, Emma turned away from Regina and addressed the pirate. "I'll grab David, you stay here." She didn't wait for Hook to object or for Regina to say anything else and dashed into the apartment. All she could hear as she took the stairs by threes was Regina's voice in her head, repeating, _"You said nothing of a fiancee, why should I have done the same?"_

When she got to her parents' home, she hurriedly pounded on the door. There was an audible scuffing of chairs against the floor and within seconds, Snow was smiling at her daughter. That smile, however, was erased in the blink of an eye. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Emma cleared her throat. There was another woman in the dining room, but Emma only saw her red-orange curls. "Listen, is David here?"

Snow frowned in confusion, "No, he went to meet you guys… didn't he?"

* * *

Awkwardly stuffed together in Emma's car, she, Hook, and Regina drove into the forest in search of David. From a distance, they could make out two figures in the clearing: one was clearly David, but he was in mossy robes. The other was on his knees, his back towards the oncoming group. The closer they got, however, Emma realized the guy on the ground wasn't a stranger: it was David.

The three heroes jumped out of the vehicle and rushed to one of the Davids- the only one left. His cheeks were flushed, there was dirt in his hair, and he looked as if he'd just battled against another dragon. Emma lent and arm for him to grip as she staggered to his feet. "What the hell was that?" she panted.

David brushed off the twigs and mud from his clothes and shook his head, still reeling from it all. "My deepest fears," he said, as though it served as explanation enough.

"Your what?" Emma may have been the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, but damn, shit still got too weird sometimes.

"My deepest fears," David repeated, now to Hook and Regina. "It came out of nowhere and somehow knew what I was most afraid of, stuff I haven't even told Mary Margaret. It attacked me, but I managed to destroy it with the hilt of my sword."

"Where is it?" Regina asked boldly. "Your sword?"

"That's just it. When it disappeared, so did the hilt. It was gone before I could grab it," David said. "I've only ever come across this type of thing once before, back in the Forest. I hadn't realized it was so hard to win."

At Hook and Emma's grossly evident puzzlement, Regina stifled her current emotions for them both and took a moment to enlighten them. "When we conquer our fears, our true courage comes out. You overcame yours with your sword, and in turn, your courage was transferred into the being."

"And that means…?" Emma let the question end on its own. It was more addressed to David than Regina.

"It means the Witch is playing with us," the Queen muttered. "Items we hold most dear, symbols, are very powerful things. They hold more meaning than people give them credit for."

* * *

When the game of 20 questions was over, the gang moved onto the farm house Emma and Hook had stumbled upon earlier. It looked just as it had before, even the snow hadn't melted yet. White slats, and empty porch, and dirty windows all made up the possible hiding place of the Wicked Witch.

The only difference this time, was the bomb shelter's doors. "That lock wasn't broken before," Emma said, already reaching for her gun. Charming made the brave offering and clutched the handle. Hook extracted his own blade and Regina prepared with magic, it was invisible, but it was mighty. "Ok, go ahead," the blonde nodded to her father, the end of her piece aimed steadily.

The moment David lifted the iron doors, Emma put her finger on the trigger. When there was no sign of immediate danger, she loosened her grip just a bit, journeyed down the steps, and surveyed the tine enclosure. The only thing she found harmful was the stench of sour milk and old gym socks.

"Do you feel that?" Regina asked the Savior, completely disregarding their prior argument.

"I don't know, but whatever I'm feeling isn't good," Emma replied. "What _is_ that?"

"Dark magic," the Queen seethed.

Emma moved closer to the middle of the room until she was face-to-face with a metal bar. In fact, it was more than a bar; it was an entire prison. Wooden borders and square-shaped ties in the steel bands surrounded an empty pen. "Why would the Wicked Witch want a cage? Monkeys?"

"Not monkeys," David tugged the string above his head and the light filled the room. In the center of the cell was a handcrafted, ancient, wooden bench. And in front, sat a large wheel with eight spokes. Scattered pieces of golden hay were spread around the floor and David picked up a single thread. "How many people do we know who can spin straw into gold?"

"Rumplestiltskin," Emma breathed.

The revelation hit every member of the group differently. David wasn't particularly thrilled, but he wasn't disappointed either. If the Dark One was back, that meant he would know how to get ride of the Witch. More importantly, if the Dark One was back, that mean Gold had _lived_.

Among the party, however, Regina was the happiest. Her teacher had truly survived it all. If they could just find him, Zelena would quake in her boots at the very notion of going up against both Rumplestiltskin _and _Regina. She didn't care where they had to go or what they had to do to get Gold back, now that she knew he was alive, Regina had a new mission.

* * *

The entire car ride back was spent without anyone saying anything. It had been yet another grueling day back in Storybrooke, and all Emma wanted to do was see Henry. She didn't want to be around anybody, not even her parents, but she knew there were few places she could go with her son. Everyone in town had their memories back, and everyone in town was a different storybook character. Although Ruby had kept it quiet, Emma wasn't so confident in the rest of the town's acting abilities. She still didn't know how to explain it to him. Emma even began to have a new appreciation for what Henry had done back in 2011. To have such guts as a kid, believe in the stories, and tell someone about it took more courage than Emma thought she had in her.

When they got back into town, she and her carpool buddies began going their separate ways. Emma was fully content to part from Regina without another word, but the brunette had other ideas. Before the sheriff got too far, the mayor caught up to her and gently grabbed her arm. "Emma, wait," she beseeched.

"What?" Emma didn't even turn to the brunette.

"I… I wanted to ask if I could see Henry again tomorrow? Maybe take him out for breakfast?"

The jealousy and hurt that Emma had been brewing turned into compassion for the woman. It was one thing to be mad at her, but Emma wasn't going to punish Regina with Henry as a pawn. Using the last bit of patience she had in her, she spun around and met Regina's gaze. "Yeah, ok. I guess that's fine. I'll keep working on 'the case,' then."

"Thank you." If Emma didn't know any better, she'd say that Regina smiled. What she wouldn't have given to see that smile more often.

* * *

While the idiots- Zelena saw all of them as idiots- chased after useless leads, she was one step ahead of them. Now that she had Charming's sword, what was left of it, she'd already seized control of the biggest threat. Yes, she saw Charming as a threat. Regina was easy, almost too easy. Charming, though, was so blinded by his own fears and stoicism, he wasn't thinking straight. And that made him dangerous.

Zelena had gone the whole day with Snow White, chatting like girlfriends and laughing together. It made her sick. On the bright side, the mother-to-be suspected nothing. Two down, three to go.

She'd had a feeling they'd find where she was staying, and before they could locate anything incriminating, Zelena moved the important items: her clothes, and the wizard. He was somewhere no one would think to look, somewhere only he couldn't escape, left in solitude. It was just a matter of time before Zelena set that part of her plan into motion; for now, Rumplestiltskin would just have marinate in his own madness.

* * *

**A/N - **Hello, dearies! Here's the newest update! Hope you enjoyed it. Like I said, there will be some scenes from the episodes, but only those I find most crucial to the story, and I definitely I found Regina and Henry's time to crucial. Don't worry, I'm not going to make some stick love triangle. I think we've all suffered enough with those (*cough cough* CS/SF). Thanks for the reviews/follows/favorites! More to come soon, folks!


	4. The Last Lie

**A/N** - Hope you all enjoy the update! There's so much happening! I haven't forgotten about other characters, I promise! I hear you loud and clear, and I haven't used any of the show's dialogue. I'm sorry if that seemed too robotic, I just wanted to emphasize certain points, but now I know for the future. I'm posting this before the episode airs, mainly because I want tonight to be a surprise for myself as well, and I don't want it to affect the chapter. I saw the promos only used the base of one scene, for obvious reasons you'll see; I've put my own spin on it. Thanks for the helpful feedback/follows/reviews! Happy watching, dearies!

* * *

For the second night in a row, Emma Swan had a sleepless night. Between Hook's persistent advances, Henry's steady obliviousness, and Regina's heart-stopping admission, the sheriff of Storybrooke was a ball of emotions— all battling one another, fighting for control over her system. She wasn't sure if she was angry, frustrated, irritated, sad, or everything. Walking around the apartment was like walking through water: she forced her legs to carry her, but it was as if there was some sort of resistance. If it was some kind of message from the universe, trying to give her a hint of what to do next, Emma was all but receptive.

When she'd gotten home the previous afternoon, Henry asked her a few questions, but she managed to deflect them. "Did you know there were a group of guys with the names Grumpy and Happy? Did you know there's a couple named Ariel and Eric? Who was the dude with the beard talking to the mayor?" He wasn't particularly demanding in his inquiries, but they were enough of a red flag for Emma to realize they needed to be more careful. When the time was right, Henry would get his memories back. But right now, it was the wrong time.

As Snow slept the morning away, Emma moved about the small space with the agility of a mouse. Seeing as there were no doors or other forms of privacy partitions to block out noise, it was a bit tedious being unable to wear shoes or run the water in the kitchen. So, when Henry woke up from his journey to dreamland and got dressed, Emma ushered him out quickly. They were going to meet Regina at Granny's, and soon, Emma would find out if she'd made the perfect decision or a terrible mistake.

Citizens of the frazzled town gave the mother and son looks of pity as they strolled down the street. Albeit, it was mostly Henry they were pitying and he was aware of their earnest head shakes and whispers to one another. Emma had one hand on the boy's shoulders, guiding him straight for the only diner in Storybrooke and overlooked the incessant gossip.

"Mom?" Henry asked before they reached the front steps.

"Yeah?"

Henry stopped just meters away from Granny's fine establishment and Emma almost tripped over the curb. The ends of his gray and red scarf swayed at his hips and his black peacoat was unbuttoned just a tad. Henry didn't remember that Regina had bought him that scarf for his ninth birthday and it stung Emma to know how much of his life he was missing out on. "Is everything ok?" he questioned. "I mean, you've been acting weird lately. Is something wrong?"

Archie was just passing Emma and Henry with Pongo and in a strange way, he was hurt at what he heard. He knew he didn't really have a right to be insulted, after all, it wasn't Henry's fault and he was sure Regina was experiencing the worst of it. Everyone in town remembered the son of the Savior and the Evil Queen, the good that was in him and the kindness he emitted. In some way, all of their lives had been changed by Henry's presence or something he did. Having one their bravest heroes back with them and being prevented from striking up conversation like they used to was hard on the majority of the residents.

Emma waited for Archie to exit from earshot and plastered a smile on her face. "Everything's good, Kid. I'm sorry if I seem… off, it's just… this case is, uh, a tough one to crack."

"Like that guy two months ago? The one with all the addresses?"

"Yeah, like that," the mother fibbed. "Don't worry about me, ok? Try and have some fun while we're here." Henry nodded attentively, though his dazed expression said otherwise. Emma, already tired before the rest of her day began, gave Henry a brief noogie and resumed walking. "Come on, someone's waiting for you."

The very second the door opened, Regina was on her feet and facing the newest guests. In her usual plum-colored suit and black heels, the brunette sucked in a breath as she watched Henry stride towards her. She felt silly in a way; she'd just seen him the day before, but every minute that she didn't find him in his room, know exactly where he was, or what he was doing, she felt like a horrible mother. And above all, she missed him so badly, she thought of burying her heart again— until everything was settled, that is.

The closer Henry got to her, the faster her life source pumped in her chest. Her entire body was shaking by the time the brown-haired teenager had reached the table with Emma closely behind. "Well, it certainly is great to see you again, Henry," Regina beamed in the softest, maternal tone she could muster without bursting into tears.

"You too, uh, Madame Mayor," Henry said, hastily adding her title to show his respect. Regina was convinced his voice had dropped even lower since the previous day.

When Regina looked up and saw Emma, her heart stopped its sprinting, but only for a moment. It was as though a gavel had been slammed down and the extra chatter had ceased around her and the sheriff; what she'd said before came rushing back to Regina, chasing after her like a train. "Ms. Swan," she greeted formally; keeping appearances for Henry's sake, off course.

"Madame Mayor," Emma replied stiffly. Her gray, knit hat sat comfortably on top of her head and allowed for her golden mane to move with the wind. That red, crinkling, leather jacket hugged her torso perfectly; even through the thick material, Regina could see Emma's toned arms. "Henry," Emma's voice brought the mayor back to life, "there's a lead I gotta follow up on and Madame Mayor has offered to keep you company while I'm gone. Is that ok with you?"

Henry shrugged carelessly, "Sure."

His unintentional apathy towards spending the morning with Regina sent a stabbing pain in her chest and she almost fell backwards; if Emma hadn't been glaring at her, Regina probably would have. "I'm sure we can find some things to do in the meantime," she said hoarsely. "There's still much to Storybrooke you haven't seen."

"Right, so, you've both got my number," Emma said. She hoped Henry didn't find anything strange about the fact that the mayor had his mother's phone number. "If you need anything, shoot me a text or call me, ok?" She said this more to Henry than Regina.

"Gotcha," her son gave her a thumbs up.

Emma kissed the top of his head, ruffled his hair once again, and started to make her way for the door. She heard shoes slapping against the floor behind her, but she only increased her speed. "Emma," Regina tempted quietly. "Please, wait."

Mentally kicking herself, Emma shut her eyes and turned to face the woman who made her want to punch a wall and sweep her off her feet at the same time. "What?" she asked with a fresh surge of impatience.

She noticed the flicker of agitation in Regina's chestnut irises, but chose to ignore it. Spinning the ring on her right ring finger, Regina was acting out of character. She never fidgeted when she was nervous, much less showed it in any form. "I… I…"

"Spit it out," Emma groaned, putting all of her energy into acting as annoying as possible. Regina hated when Emma acted smart. "What?" she asked again.

All traces of anxiety vanished from Regina when Emma's lips parted— God, her lips. She had been about to apologize for yesterday, in her own way, but now? Now Emma was going to have to wait; she was going to have use her manners. "Don't get yourself turned into a flying monkey," Regina said heatedly. "The last thing your parents need is for their daughter to be the one they're fighting."

"Why do you care?" Emma snorted. "It's not like it would affect you."

"It would affect Henry," the Queen countered. "In turn, it would, indeed, 'affect' me.'" With that, Regina spun around and sashayed back to her booth with Henry, who'd been nonchalantly reading the menu. If anyone else had caught Emma and Regina's brief conversation, or if they thought their interaction odd, no one said anything. The Queen and the Savior were still in the clear.

* * *

David and Hook had been lingering in the forest for Emma without any sort of conversation. Now that he had the last year back safely in his mind, David was slowly starting to recall how he and Hook had left things. And while he understood the pirate's inclinations to find Emma, David couldn't move past the fact that Hook had left the group. Right when life was starting to get worked out in the Forest, the captain had mounted his own horse and just disappeared without another word. So, they stood in silence, Prince Charming and Captain Hook. They let the bullfrogs and the cicadas hiding in bushes and trees serve as their music.

When Emma drove up, David's entire demeanor changed; he went from an awkward 17 year-old with a grudge, to a valiant warrior ready to fight. The same went for Hook. He'd drawn his blade when he saw the yellow Bug sputtering up the hill. He was hoping he'd have a moment alone with Emma, a chance to atone for his earlier actions.

"There aren't a lot of places she could hide here; this place is smaller than a factory," Emma thought out loud as trekked through the damp dirt. "She obviously wouldn't stay anywhere _in_ town. Hook you take everything from the well westward," she instructed. "David and I will go east."

Somewhat disappointed, Killian Jones masked it with a simple question. "And how should I contact you if I find something— a messenger dove?"

"Take this," David offered his phone apprehensively. "Hold down number two and we'll get you."

"Don't you need that?" Emma asked her father.

"If Mary Margaret can't reach me on mine, she'll call you," David reasoned. While he wasn't fond of giving Hook his cellphone, it was a nice break from being rung up every five minutes.

"Ok, then let's do this. Let's find this wicked bitch." Emma and David broke away from Hook and the trio began their search.

It wasn't exactly the warmest weather Storybrooke had seen, as winters go. A frigid fog encompassed the entire forest, making even the tallest of trees undetectable. The breaking of twigs and rubbing of rocks were Emma and David's only guides through the blinding smoke. At one point, they were walking with their hands out in front of them in hopes they'd feel something before they rammed into it.

A half hour into their trail, David decided he'd had enough with waiting. "What was Hook talking about when he said you were going to marry someone?"

For the first time since she'd gotten to the woods, Emma was glad they were hidden in the fog. That way, David couldn't see the scrunched up look on her face. "It's no big deal; it didn't work out."

"But it almost did," David pushed. "Who was he?"

"That's a good question," Emma quipped. "I knew him as Walsh, but apparently, he had wings and claws, so… I'm still not sure."

"Were you in love with him?" the father barreled on. All of the times he'd wondered how Emma was doing, where she was, what she was doing… he was finally learning about her year away, though it wasn't going quite how he'd imagined. A couple seconds of silence passed and David felt as though he'd ruined the entire thing. "I'm sorry. That was brash. It's just—"

"I get it," his daughter said. With the heaviest sigh she'd ever taken, Emma figured there was no harm in participating. "I guess was in love with who I thought he was. He was nice to me and Henry. It's not easy finding someone who's willing to date you _and_ your kid. But, you know, I'm not really disappointed that it got messed up… I'm disappointed that I didn't see it."

"That's not on you, Emma. You _couldn't_ see it," David comforted. If he knew where she was, he would have given her a hug. Correction: he would have _tried_ to give her a hug.

"Yeah, well, I should've anyway," the princess muttered. "Can I ask you something? What was your fear? What was so bad that you couldn't tell anyone?"

Now it was David's turn to scrunch up his face. He followed the sound of Emma's cloak rubbing together and he let that be his calming focal point. "Something I should have confronted a long time ago."

Emma glanced back in the direction of David's voice. "That doesn't answer my question."

"Trust me, I've got under control now."

Deciding not to push him too far, even if he did it to her, Emma let it go. She figured that she knew David well enough by now that he'd tell her when he was ready. Instead, Emma's interest turned into relief as the haze finally lifted. The gray sky above and the towering trees were now visible, as well as the ground beneath their feet. How far they'd gone, Emma wasn't sure. What they arrived at, however, was far more disconcerting.

"David, what—"

David yanked on Emma's arm and held a finger to his mouth. Just below the dip in the earth, in a clearing untouched by trees or fallen branches, lay nine, furry, snoring creatures. Their chests rose three feet into the air with every breath they took and a couple of them twitched involuntarily.

To her left, Emma saw Hook standing at the edge of the cliff and even from a distance, it was clear that he was as shocked as they were. With David's cell phone in his hand, the pirate had only his hook to defend himself. He inclined forward just a bit, but it was a bit too far: his half step sent rocks falling straight into the open area and landed on one of the beings.

"Emma," David whispered, staring at the flying monkey who was stirring in his spot on the ground. "Run."

* * *

Henry ordered strawberry pancakes with whip cream, all the while unaware that that's what he use to get. Because he was a VIP, his meal came out just minutes after the order was placed and set right in front of him. Red dropped off syrup and extra strawberries, just like Henry liked it. He thanked the woman with red hair cordially and proceeded to dig in.

While the growing boy devoured his breakfast, Regina simply sat across from him and watched him eat. She observed all of the ways that he'd changed in the last year, and then all of the ways that he was still her little boy. His voice may have gotten deeper, and he may have gained a few inches, but he still had the same light in his eyes. Henry cut his flapjacks into triangles and poured the syrup on after they were all sliced, as always; the thick maple gooeyness drizzled down, through the batter. He was too hungry to be bothered by the mayor's constant gaze.

Henry finished in just a few bites and a content sigh escaped his nose; he politely wiped his mouth with his napkin and set his silverware on his empty plate, using the etiquette Emma (Regina) had instilled in him. Granny's Diner almost measured up to his mother's cooking— almost. "Um," he said after biting back a yawn, "thank you for breakfast. It's really nice of you."

Regina pushed her coffee cup to the side and gave Henry a tightlipped grin, one that compressed all of agony and joy into one simple gesture. "It's my pleasure. I know how much you love pancakes."

"What?"

"I… I mean," Regina fumbled desperately, "your mother told me it was your favorite meal." She was already berating herself for letting such an important detail slip. Regina could only imagine what Emma would say if she'd been there to witness the blunder.

"She did?" Henry asked, perplexed. It's kind of a weird piece of trivia to tell a stranger about your child… unless Emma and Regina weren't strangers. It would explain why they'd been acting so odd towards each other. "Do you know my mom? Like, do you know her from the last time she was here?"

"Yes," Regina answered without missing a beat. To cover her hasty answer, she added, "We worked together on a previous case once. I had some information she thought was valuable."

"Oh," Henry said, as if that was all the explanation he needed. "And was it?"

"Was what?"

"Was the information valuable?"

Regina's mind suddenly rewound to the day the first curse had been broken and the events that lead up to it: Emma finding out magic was real, Henry laying unconscious in the hospital bed, Emma throwing her against the cart in the linen closet, Emma fighting a dragon, Henry waking up by Emma's kiss… Emma. "It was," Regina confirmed. "I like to believe it did some good."

"That's cool," the maturing man nodded.

As Henry and Regina's conversation lagged, the door to the restaurant swung open and Regina recoiled instinctively. A man and his young son came waltzing in, and soon, he found on the woman he was looking for. But, then, he also saw the boy sitting across from her. Unfortunately, it was too late to turn back now.

"Regina!" his son cheered as he ran up to the Queen. Roland threw his arms around the flustered woman and was deeply hurt when she didn't hug him back. The dimpled-child stared up at the intimidating figure, shrugged away, and ran back to his father.

"Is that your kid?" Henry inquired.

Regina felt as if her head was about to explode. She started to have trouble breathing and her hands became clammy, tingly. "No, he's not," she said bluntly. "Excuse me for a moment." For the second time, Regina left Henry sitting alone and marched up to the man at the bar, ready to rip out his heart. "How dare you!" she barked. Everyone turned heads, including Henry. "Are you insane?!"

Robin held onto a frightened Roland and cradled his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were with your son."

"That's not the point! You can _not_ just show up whenever the spirit moves you, do you understand? This is not our world; your actions have consequences far greater than anything I could do to you!" With steam blowing from her ears, Regina leaned in closer to Robin until his body heat stetted out towards her. "Do not come near my son again. If you want to discuss something, leave a message at my office. Otherwise, well, you know what I'm capable of."

Robin, who was accustomed to Regina's rage by now, hardly flinched at her authority. "Yes, but will you do it is what I want to know."

Nearly touching noses, Regina and her fiancee engaged in a treacherous staring contest. Their last year together flashed before her eyes: the times they'd talked about things she'd never told anyone, the way she'd been open with him. It was clear he still had feelings towards the Queen, but Regina was harder to right then, even for Robin.

Of all the times to catch her in, Emma came barging into the room with a crazed look, out of breath, and sweating profusely. She was pale, almost too pale; all color had been lost from her cheeks, and her pupils were dilated. Anyone would have guessed she'd just seen a ghost.

The mayor moved away from the thief without hesitation and felt her knees go weak when she saw Emma. It was a different sensation than when she was around Robin; it was stronger, like a magnetic pull that she couldn't escape. She felt things with Robin, but it wasn't the same; it wasn't as invigorating.

"What is is?" Regina prompted, now with five feet of room between herself and the man with the beard.

"Mom, you ok?" Henry stood by the table, already putting his coat and scarf back on.

Emma shoved past her dislike for Robin Hood and acted as though she hadn't just seen Regina within kissing distance from him. After giving Robin a murderous glare, Emma looked directly at the brunette and said, "We've got a problem."

* * *

The group reconvened together in the mayor's office. Hook, Charming, and Regina all waited for Emma to get back from dropping Henry off with Mary Margaret. Regina was restless in her chair as she let the information sink in. "A nest? The flying monkeys have formed a nest?" she inquired doubtfully.

"More like an army. Just under a dozen of them. They're bloody monsters," Hook said. The pirate used his good leg to support his entire weight, as he was rather uncomfortable sitting in the Queen's quarters.

"My guess is they're the people who've been disappearing," said David, his gun showing under his coat.

Emma arrived then, just after David made his hunch known. She didn't even bother to look at Regina; she was too furious at the mayor, for reasons no one else could ever possibly understand. To be honest, she wasn't even sure she understood them. "Henry's safe," she muttered. "Mary Margaret's talking to some woman, but he doesn't seem to care."

"Zelena," David said. "She's the midwife."

Regina froze in her seat when David dropped the bomb. The muscles in her neck twitched violently as she pressed her palms onto her desk and pushed herself up. "What did you just say?"

"The woman with Snow, her name's Zelena. She's offered to help deliver the baby," the Prince relayed innocently. At Regina's clenched jaw, David brushed past Hook and positioned himself in front of her. "Regina," he started, "what's going on—"

"Go home, stay with your wife, act normal, and say nothing," Regina ordered.

"Regina—"

"David, listen to me." Regina rarely used the man's first name, so he knew this was important. Ms. Mills addressed the deputy, and only the deputy. "Do _not_ say anything to Snow, all right? You have to trust me on this."

While the two had a past full of feuds, dark magic, trickery, and bloodshed, David had never trusted Regina more than he did in this moment. He had to follow her instructions, he knew it. Too revved to bid farewell, David ran out of the office and dashed back to his wife and grandson.

"What was that about?" Hook was about to ask the same thing. "Regina?" Emma waved a hand before the woman's eyes. "Hey!"

"Take me to the monkeys," said Regina. "Now."

"Not until you tell us what just happened," the Savior challenged.

"I have to agree with Swan," Hook said, unnecessarily so. He still had yet to realize he was not a part of this connection. Until then, he was just an unwelcome distraction in Emma's mind.

Regina waited too long to answer Emma's question, and the blonde figured it out. "She's not…"

"She's not what?" Hook tried interpret.

Emma curled her hands into tight fists, wanting very much to swing at the man with the earring. "Can you, like, give us a sec?" Hook moped his way outside into the hall and Emma closed the door behind him. "Regina, remember, I can tell when you're lying. So, tell me. Is the lady with my mother… is she the Wicked Witch?" This time, Regina's flagrant reluctance launched Emma into a rant that she'd been holding in for the past 36 hours. "This unbelievable— it's fucking unbelievable! Goddammit, I can't do this! It's too much! It's bullshit— it's all a load of bullshit! Jesus Christ, this town! I should've just stayed in New York and away form Hook! I never should have come back!"

"Then why did you?!" Regina demanded, deeply offended at Emma's words. "If this is beyond your capabilities as the all mighty Savior, why the hell didn't you stay away?"

"You know why," Emma argued. In one, graceful bound, she had Regina's face in her hands and her lips crushed against the mayor's.

But Regina fought back this time; she tore free of Emma's hold and reeled away from her. "We are not doing this, Emma! Do you hear me? We are _not_ doing this!"

"Then what the hell are we doing?!"

Straightening her jacket and fixing her hair to look presentable, Regina put on her best Queen's appearance and put on her coat. "_You_ are taking _me_ to this den. And then _I _am going to destroy the Wicked Witch. Is that clear?"

* * *

"David, you're home early," Snow said right before her husband pecked her nose. Zelena was at the opposite side of the table, her fire-toned curls hung past her shoulders. She had a bright, green amulet around her neck, something David hadn't noticed before.

Henry sat on the couch, glued to his video game. He was far from the Henry that David had known. His grandson would have ambushed him right when he got home and bombarded David with questions. Now, he just stayed to himself, never to be parted with his device.

"I had a break, figured I'm come and see you," the Prince lied easily— too easily for his own liking. "I was thinking about what you said yesterday," he continued. "You know, about the anxiety over this new baby. I want to be present for everything, Snow, and I want to help ensure its safety— and yours. So, here I am… with you guys." His back was dripping with beads of sweat and he worked his damn-hardest to prevent his forehead from revealing his nerves.

"That is so lovely," the British woman commended; her dazzling red lipstick moved up and down as she spoke. The whole scene couldn't have made her even more nauseas if she tried. "That's what I love to see: a doting father-to-bed. Now, where were we? Oh, right, you were just telling me about your other daughter: Emma."

* * *

"What is that you're going to do, exactly? Turn them all into rabbits?" Hook mocked.

Regina replied without giving him the satisfaction of seeing her disgusted scowl. "It's more than you can do, is it not?"

Emma lead the pack through the woods, having memorized her way back to the hive. She'd only been there once, but it's not exactly something a person could ever forget— even with a curse. The Savior had decided it was best just to keep her mouth shut and not talk to either of the adults behind her. She thought she'd said enough; besides, no matter what came flying out, it never ended well.

Although Emma knew her way through the forest, it seemed to be taking longer than before. Than again, that could have been due to the vociferous lull among the three. The bickering stopped and they traveled the rest of the way keeping to themselves. It was as though they'd been rebuked by a teacher and all Emma thought about was, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

After an agonizing forty-five minutes, they finally stumbled upon the unconscious brood of demons. Emma counted several times to make sure they were all still there. Nine had been curled into balls when she left and nine were still tucked together when they got back, all drooling on each other. The humans were cautious in their steps and made sure to avoid walking over any twigs; the last thing they wanted to do was wake the beasts.

When nothing happened, when they monkey's showed no signs of recognition, Regina removed her gloves and raised her hands over the clearing. To strengthen her concentration, she closed her eyes and blocked out Emma's deliberate surveillance. Immediately, she felt a sharp tugging in the pit of her stomach, as if a rope had been tied around her and she were being yanked through the air. She choked perilously to take in the oxygen her lungs so badly needed, which only increased the spectators' alarm. This is what magic really felt like; it wasn't a warm, bubbly feeling and it didn't smell like cherry pie, it was unpleasant and distressing.

The vicious torment came to an end and Regina was released from the invisible clutches. "That's something you don't come across everyday," Hook whistled. He craned his neck over the edge just enough to get a better view. He was tempted to reach out for the purple glow, but soon thought better of it.

"That should hold them for a while," Regina hypothesized as she slid her fingers back into the leather warmers. The magical protection charm she'd conjured was the strongest of its kind, even more secure than the one she'd put on her castle. She didn't use blood this time, for obvious reasons. No, she used something else— something the Wicked Witch had no way of breaking through.

"A while?" Emma asked, shattering her internal vow of silence. "How long is 'a while.'"

"Long enough," said Regina. There was an apparent raspiness to Regina's tone, as if she'd just woken up from an endless slumber. "When we get back, do not leave Henry's side," she said to Emma. "Do not let him out of your sight and do not let him near anyone in town. If you stay with your parents, it only puts him in more danger."

"Pardon me, but have I missed something?" Hook was like a pesky fly: he left when you swatted at him, but he returned as soon as you let your guard down. Emma knew she couldn't just squash him, but there seemed to be very few options.

"What are you gonna do?" There was something off about Regina, something Emma only sensed a few times before.

"Nothing," Regina assured. "For now."

* * *

"Kid?" Emma entered the loft vigilantly, but not before double-checking to make sure she had her gun. Whether or not it would work on the Wicked Witch of the West was yet to be seen; if Emma had her vices, she wouldn't even have to try.

"Hey Mom," Henry said without taking his eyes off of his game. Avatars grunting and shots being fired rang from the tiny speakers, but the boy hardly even blinked. Emma wondered whether or not Regina would have bought him such a braincell-destroyer.

Snow, David, and Zelena were all at the table together, gleefully talking the time away. Actually, Snow and Zelena were the only light-hearted ones, David couldn't have looked more miserable. He'd been trying to decode Regina's wannabe-message, but so far, he kept coming up short. All he knew was that Zelena triggered something for the brunette and it wasn't good.

"Emma, hi," Snow waddled towards her first-born, though not too motherly in front of Henry. "How's the case going?"

Emma shook her head forcefully and waved a hand over her throat, a wordless "cut it out." Zelena, luckily enough, hadn't heard Snow. "So, here's the thing Mary Margaret," Emma said loudly. This- she wanted Zelena to listen to. "I don't think we can stay here anymore. It's too crowded. I'm gonna see if Henry and I can stay at the Inn, ok?"

By her daughter's purposeful declaration, Snow realized something wasn't right and played along. "I see," she said and matched Emma's volume. "All right, if you feel that's what's best. We'll see you around, then." Emma grabbed hers and Henry's bags, escorted her son through the doorway, and let out the breath she'd been holding in. Henry didn't even get the chance to ask what was going on before he was shooed into the street.

Before Emma and Regina came back into town, they'd devised a plan so thorough, it had to be foolproof— one Captain Hook was unaware of. Regina still hadn't admitted how she knew Zelena, but for the time being, it didn't matter. The two women agreed that Henry's safety, as well as the safety of Emma's parents were at the top of the triage list.

To create the illusion that they really were staying at the Inn, Emma and Henry entered Granny's Bed and Breakfast. Regina was at the bottom of the stairs, ready to teleport them when they were. It was beyond risky, but she and Emma had come to the conclusion that Henry had to know; keeping him in the dark made him more vulnerable than telling him the truth.

"Mom, what are we doing here?" Henry peered up at Emma. He scanned the small lobby and glanced at the empty desk. They were the only ones there.

The mother disregarded the increase in her heartbeat and the tremor in her hands as she lied to Henry for the last time. "Regina's gonna help us find a place to crash for now."

Regina approached the confused teenager and laid a hand on his shoulder, the way he had the day they'd left. "I'm sorry about this, Henry. Please, forgive me." With a nod of approval from Emma, a violet swirl of smoke engulfed the trio, lifting them off the ground, and twisting their insides as if they were on a roller coaster. Then, before they could get too motion sick, they arrived in the main room of the mayor's mansion.

Emma remembered it well; the first time she met the mayor and the many brawls she and Regina had gotten into. But Henry had no clue where he was. It was a foreign to him as the rest of the town. He wobbled backwards, fell on his left elbow, howled in pain. When Regina moved to help him- to heal him- he crawled away from her until he hit the wall and supported his injured limb. "Henry," Emma knelt next to him, but he was equally afraid of her. "There's something you need to know."


	5. Of Love and Loss

"I don't get it," Henry said after Emma and Regina had confessed the truth, and after he'd allowed Regina to mend his crushed elbow. By now, there were all on the floor in a triangle; Henry's head had stopped spinning and the world around him was still, focused. Regina crossed her legs and shimmied her skirt as low as it could go, but not enough for Emma to stop staring.

"I know this must be confusing for you, dear, but I promise you that it's the truth," Henry's other mother said, the one who truly raised him.

"She's right," Emma agreed. "The only reason you don't remember is because of the curse."

"But you just said she switched our memories," the boy mumbled.

"She did, but only because of the curse. Kid," Emma slid closer, "your mom just wanted to protect you."

_And you_, Regina said to herself, wishing she could say it to Emma. The pure look of horror in Henry's eyes was enough for Regina to regret not taking her own heart when she had the courage. If she did it now, it would only send Henry into an irreversible state of shock; it wouldn't help matters at all. "Henry, what if I can prove it to you?" Regina summoned The Book from his old room and held it out to her son. But the sudden use of magic only made him cower further. "It's all right, you see? It won't hurt you… Neither will I."

At Emma's encouragement, Henry set the heavy object on his lap and opened to the first page. "Once upon a time…" he read out loud.

"If you'd like, you can read it upstairs… in your room," Regina said heavily; a dizzying spell threatened to rip her away from reality. The looming presence of Henry's utter terror was preventing him from taking anything Regina said seriously, and she knew it; she felt in her entire being, as if she'd been dunked into a pool of scalding hot water.

"It's ok, Henry," Emma affirmed, equally as cautious. "I'll be right here." She clambered to her feet and gave Henry a hand, while Regina oozed with jealousy at the gesture.

Henry carried The Book close to his chest, thinking it would fall if he loosened his grip at all. He took the staircase one step at a time and let his body act as the navigator; he curved around the rail, making sure not to trip on his untied shoelaces, until he made it all the way to the second floor. It was obvious which one was his room, but he waited a few seconds before going in.

"Do you think he believes us?"

Regina grimaced, more to herself than to Emma. "I don't know." It was a rarity for the Queen to ever admit that she didn't have all of the answers, which only fed Emma's astonishment.

"Look, I know there's a lot going on right now, and I know we should be working on this 'case,' but we need to talk," Emma said. "We need to figure out what's going on with us."

"'Us?'" Regina scoffed in distaste. "I'm afraid you're mistaken, Emma. There is no 'us' to discuss." She started walking towards the den, away from the blonde, but Emma wasn't giving up so easily. Henry was protected his room, in Regina's home; the Savior could relax, if only for a minute.

"That's a load of bull and you know it!" Emma asserted, planted in the doorway.

Regina was pouring a glass of whisky, but only one. If Emma wanted some, she'd have to get it for herself. "We not having this conversation."

"Too late, too bad," the sheriff huffed. With a fresh surge of adrenaline giving Emma life, she all but jumped over the couch to get to Regina, who was concentrating on her beverage. "You don't want to be together; fine. But how long do you think we can go without telling people how the curse broke? It's not gonna stay a secret forever."

"That's rich, coming from you," Regina sneered. "For someone who prides their self on catching others in a lie, you've told your fair share, have you not?"

"This isn't just some lie, Regina. We're not teenagers, ok? We're adults; we've got to deal with this like adults!" Emma took the glass out of the brunette's hand and slammed it on the table behind her; drops of the bronze liquids splattered over the wood. She cornered the Queen, pressed her up against the bookshelves. "Tell me that you don't feel anything between us, and I'll go back to just being the sheriff. Look me in the eyes and tell me that there's nothing here— don't even _think_ about lying."

Trapped under Emma's alluring green spheres, Regina almost lost track of where she was. It'd been a while since she'd been so close to someone, and it meant something. When she advanced on Robin earlier, there weren't fireworks or sparks— not like there were with Emma. Her legs didn't tremble when Robin talked to her— not like they did with Emma. And her heart didn't flutter when Robin said her name— not like it did with Emma. But, things were different now. Everything had changed: Henry was back, but not really. Regina was engaged to the man with the lion tattoo and had memories of, but with whom she felt like a stranger. And the Wicked Witch was in town with a vendetta against Regina. There was no way she and Emma could make it work— whatever "it" was.

"I don't feel anything for you," Regina said steadily. Those six words sent an electric shock through her entire body, causing her knees to lock and her neck to tense up. Biting back the excruciating pain, stuffing it into a box the size of a needle, Regina jutted her chin out and conjured the last bit of magic she had the energy for; in order to lie perfectly, she needed some help. "Do you hear me? I don't feel anything for you."

Emma searched Regina's face, ready to call her out. But there was something weird; she couldn't tell whether Regina was being honest or not. The Queen stood as still as a statue, her shoulders pushed back, her spine stiffened, and her jaw set. When she spoke, her voice was strong and decisive, not shaky and ambivalent. She was so sure she would catch Regina's deceit, but Emma kept coming up with nothing. Regina was telling her the truth.

The Savior's expression went from optimistic to pessimistic faster than the Flash. She stuck her hands in her back pockets and created a mask so convincing, Regina had to go with it. "All right," she said evenly.

As much as Regina wanted to hurl a fireball at the wall and scream until she could scream no more, her forehead creased and let her back curve naturally. "Please, you have to understand—"

"I get it," Emma cut her off. "It's fine."

"Let me explain—"

"You don't have to."

The blonde picked up Regina's drink and gave it back to her, rearranging everything and everyone just how she found it. When Regina accepted the glass, she saw something on Emma's wrist and peered down at the ink. "You have a tattoo?"

The artwork on her arm was of little relevance to Emma, and it was clear from her drowsy expression that she didn't care. "Yeah, why?"

"A flower? I never imagined the Savior would be fond of a symbol like that," Regina tried to tease. But the room was riddled with hopelessness and disappointment, there was no way a clown would laugh. Emma was already trying to leave when Regina bit the bullet again. "Can I ask what it is? What type of flower I mean."

Before she was completely absent from view, Emma, facing away from Regina, mostly to hide her swelling eyes. "A lyon."

Henry was on the edge of the bed when Emma walked by, fully immersed in the storybook. He flipped through the delicate pages, memorized the pictures, and moved onto the next one. The stories themselves were so well-known, Henry didn't even bother to read them. He was more taken with the hand drawn illustrations. Every character he saw, every outline of a face was familiar.

"Kid," Emma tapped the door, soft enough not to startle him again. She let herself in and took the spot beside her son, who failed to acknowledged her entrance.

"Is this for real? You're really…"

"Prince Charming and Snow White's kid? Yeah, I am," the mother sighed.

Henry continued turning from story to story as he verbalized the millions of thoughts all crowding his brain. "And Mr. Nolan and Ms. Blanchard, they're…"

"My parents, your grandparents," Emma recited.

"And the mayor's…"

"The Evil Queen— _was_ the Evil Queen." The wound was still fresh in Emma's chest, and yet, she still defended the woman. No matter what had just been expressed, Emma was sure that Regina was no longer evil. Her own affections for the mayor had nothing to do with whether or not she was good. "Henry, I know this is crazy. I mean, it's pretty freaking insane. But believe it or not, you were the one who convinced me the first time… you believed even when the town didn't… even when I didn't."

"I did?" For some reason, Henry stopped at the story about Rumplestiltskin and his son Baelfire. It was as if it was inviting him to read further, calling his name.

Emma leaned over, checked where Henry had landed, pointed to the drawing of the boy with curly brown hair. "That's your father," she said, swamped in nostalgia. "Neal."

Henry grazed his fingers against the page, as if he were expecting it to speak to him. "Did he… did I know him?"

"Yeah, Kid, you did. Not for a while, but… Here's the thing," Emma put her hand over Henry's, a reminder that he was still awake— that this wasn't a dream. "Henry—"

"Don't lie to me… please. I don't want any more lies," the teenager breathed.

The last time she'd witnessed Henry so stoic was the day they'd left. He didn't shed any tears for his family, because he knew that Emma would find them again. He acted as a grown-up, mature, confident. It's how he looked when he said goodbye to Regina. And in that moment, Emma saw the Henry who had sacrificed himself with the apple turnover and given his heart in Neverland; she saw the man and the hero he was transforming into. "No more lies," she finally said.

"Swan!" a booming man shouted through the home. Heavy footsteps came barging up the staircase and through the hall, accompanied by shallow panting. Hook slammed open the door and loomed over the mother and son, bearing with him a grim demeanor. He stood against the wooden frame, his lips parted and curled just so. Regina slithered into the room sideways, narrowly avoiding Hook's trembling body. She was as clueless as Emma was. As much as he hated to raise alarm with Henry present, Hook was left with no other option. "Something's happened… It's Baelfire."

* * *

"Emma, wait!" David caught his daughter in a bear hug and held her back, away from the busy doctors and nurses. Between the beeping heart monitor, chatter from the professionals, and the unconscious man on the hospital bed, Emma was stronger than her father and tore free from her restraints. She knocked down the glass door and tumble into several nurses unapologetically, full of dread and hating the suspense. Her cheeks were moist with the tears that had been falling since the moment Hook told her, freely trickling and dribbling down her chin. Emma had never driven faster than when she heard the news; she never had the need to.

Dr. Whale stood over his patient, his palms flat over Neal's heart, giving the man chest compressions. The computer hanging over the bed started to ring and a solid line flashed across the screen. Whale ordered the electric paddles and everyone stepped away as he placed them on Neal's bare chest; the metal pieces buzzed and zapped him at such a high frequency, Emma's own core vibrated. Everything was a blur for her; it was as if everyone else were on fast forward, except for herself and Neal. The only sound that kept her alert was the alarm on the monitor; she knew before Whale did. The determined doctor gave it another try, and another one, and another one. But the lively, redness to Neal's face was nowhere to be found. His lips were already turning blue and his chest stayed still… Neal was gone.

With her parents holding each other in the hall, and Hook watching helplessly from the window, Emma lifted her feet and shuffled towards the man she had once been head-over-heels in love with; the man she had always, and will always, care for. It was like déja vu to Henry, seeing the father of her child as motionless and peaceful as if he were asleep. Without her consent, Emma's knuckles caressed Neal's forehead: he was cold to the touch. She wanted to rock the thief she'd met back in Tallahassee all those years ago, tell him that he was going to be ok. She wanted him to smile at her and see all of his laugh lines around his mouth, the way his teeth bared only for her. But most of all, Emma wanted just wanted him back with her— right then, and right now. Neal just needed to open his eyes for her… for Henry.

When he didn't, when Neal failed to comply to Emma's wishes, she backed away from his vessel, shoved through the nurses once more, and stumbled out of the room straight into her parent's arms.

* * *

"So… you're really my mom, huh?" Henry asked from the dining room table. Emma had left him in Regina's care; there was no one she trusted him more with. Still captivated by The Book, Henry left it open at Regina's story— the one about the Evil Queen.

Mindful not to blast Henry with too much information too quickly, Regina had brought him downstairs and declared that she was going to make his favorite meal. While he sat, dumbfounded, she flitted around the kitchen cooking like she'd never cooked before. "One of them, yes," she told him.

"And- and you have magic?"

"I do," Regina admitted. "Though, I try not to use it unless it's an emergency. Magic— it always comes with a price." She combed through the drawers and pulled out plates and cups, napkins and silverware, all for Henry; she was still jittery from her talk with Emma and she tried not to think too much about the blonde's tattoo. She let her mind wander, just not to Emma. There were more pressing matters to attend to. Whatever was going on with rest of the group, it couldn't have been good. She'd never seen Hook so serious in all of the time that they'd been acquainted. "Henry," she said as she strained the pasta, "if you have any questions, it's all right to ask. I'm sure you're a bit curious right now."

Henry was somewhere in-between completely sold and still requiring more proof. Like Emma always told him, "Believing something doesn't make it true." Slamming The Book shut, Henry was out of his chair and leaning over the counter with his arms folded over the granite surface. "What's my favorite color?"

Somewhat taken aback by Henry's bold interrogation, Regina went on preparing his food. "Red," she replied easily.

"What's my favorite movie?"

"Transformers."

"Which one?"

"The second one," Regina recalled. She poured a bowl of marinara sauce and set it in the microwave with a plate over the top, and set the time for 45 seconds, not wanting Henry's spaghetti to be cold. She untied her apron and folded it neatly in its drawer, ready for another question.

"What's my favorite comic book?"

"Fantastic Four, the one with the shiny gentleman on the surfboard."

Henry concentrated on other bits of trivia he could use, but it wasn't easy. "How did I get the scar on my knee?"

Regina let a soft chuckle slip through and in a way, it soothed some of Henry's nerves. "That, my dear, is what happens when you ride your bike without any safety pads— no matter how many times I told you the rules."

"And how many stitches did I get?"

"Six," Regina responded promptly. The timer on for the sauce honked at the chef and begged her to remove it from mouth of the dragon. "Now, is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"If you're the Evil Queen, does that mean you killed anyone?" Henry inquired somberly. Regina dropped the porcelain plate and the glass exploded on the floor, red spaghetti dressing landed on the cupboard doors and on their shoes. The brunette dropped to her knees and worked to mop up the slush, but her hands wouldn't stop trembling. The towel kept slipping out of her grasp and Regina felt as if a vacuum were sucking her whole— as though she were shrinking into nothingness. Then, Henry knelt down and touched her wrist gently, no longer afraid of her. "I know you're not evil," he said.

"How is that?" Regina couldn't look at her son in the eyes if she were Rumplestiltskin and someone had the dagger. Instead, she focused on the spilled tomato goop.

Henry took the dishrag and proceeded to wipe the mess for the woman, like a good little helper. "Because you did what my mom almost did— or did do: you gave me my best chance."

* * *

"What happened?" Emma asked without any proper time to grieve. It hadn't even been an hour since she'd watched Neal pass away, and here she was in Savior Mode. Hook had made very few comments as the rest of the population around him continued on with their day.

"We don't know," David said truthfully. "Some of Robin Hood's Men brought him in. They said they found him in the woods. He was barely awake when they got here."

"What else?" Emma wanted all of the details, every last bit of information. It was if she were suddenly starving for every little clue, every piece of knowledge they had. "Was he alone? Did he remember anything? Was he hurt?"

"We don't know," David repeated, well aware of how frustrating it was.

"That's not good enough!" Emma cried and pounded her hands against the wall. Her sore throat and swollen eyes all made for a deadly cocktail of vengeance.

The elevator doors opened just then and Belle stepped onto the floor, craning her neck to locate the signs that would lead her in the right direction. When she saw Snow's pixie-cut, she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, which only intensified when she watched David embrace the blonde. "Snow?" Her thick, elegant accent permeated through each letter, making it impossible not to recognize. The black-haired woman merely shook her head; Belle spotted Neal in the room across from them, pale and lifeless. What was left of Belle's world came crashing down around her with just one look at her lover's son.

"Zelena," Emma snarled suddenly, slipping out of David's arms yet again. "Where is she?"

"Zelena? Why?"

Emma seethed at her mother, uncontrollable resentment towards her flooded her veins. "Because she's the Wicked Witch!" she snapped. "She did this!"

"What? No, that's— that can't be true," Snow denied incredulously. "She's a midwife!"

"No, she's not," Belle piped. "Emma's right; she tricked us into bringing Rumple back."

Too fast for anyone to catch her, Emma pinned Belle against the door to Neal's room and shook her by her collar. "What did you do?!"

Too distraught to fight back, Belle let Emma tackle her. It didn't last long, however, before David managed to peel the sheriff off of the citizen. "We were trying to resurrect him, we had instructions… But the witch… Neal didn't know…"

"Know what?!" Emma was wrestling against her own dad, all but kicking him to let her go. Her golden curls fell over her face as she thrashed recklessly, like a pit bull who's leash was being tightened.

Belle sniffled several times, doing her best not to let her own emotions get in the way. "In order to bring Rumple back," she inhaled slowly, "Neal had to give his own life."

Having just been thrown overboard, Hook wielded his blade and slashed it through the air. "Are we just going to stand here, or are we going to find this damn witch?!" He was ready for a fight; it'd been too long since he'd gotten to draw blood. He was going to make the Wicked Witch, or whatever the hell she was, pay for what taking away the only shred of family he had— however estranged he and Neal had been.

David let go of Emma, thinking she'd gained composure. But, he soon realized his mistake when she immediately grabbed her gun and checked the amount of bullets she had left: there three rounds, but she only needed one. "Emma, wait, think about you're doing," Snow pleaded. "Think about Henry."

"He's all I ever think about," her daughter grunted as she rammed the magazine back into its home.

"Emma," David put himself in front of the Savior. She moved to skirt around him, but he was faster. "Stop."

"Get out of my way!"

"We can figure this out together, before anyone else gets hurt," the Prince reasoned. He used all of his six foot, one inch stature as a human traffic cone, thwarting Emma's every attempt to flee.

"It's too late," Emma stated fearlessly. Belle was turned away, shuddering as she shed a tear for Neal, riddled with guilt. If she'd only told them sooner, if she had warned them, maybe they could have saved him. The Savior hurled herself at David as if she were trying to break down a door, but he stayed planted in front of her, as though his feet were cemented to the floor. "I swear to God if you don't move—"

"You won't do anything," David said knowingly.

"She may not, but I bloody will," Hook limped forward. He raised his pointed weapon as if it were enough to intimate the royal, but it was going to take more than that.

David snatched the gun away from the blonde without any trouble. In her wave of mourning, her coordination and reaction time weren't up to their usual levels. "Emma, stop! Think about Henry! Really think! His father just died, he needs to hear it from you. Not us, not Regina— you. Your son needs _you._"

* * *

While David, Belle, and a coerced Hook went looking for Gold, and Snow was in the protection of Ruby and Granny, Emma drove back to the mayor's mansion in her rusting Volkswagen. She'd been tormenting herself the entire drive, racking what was left of her conscious for a way to deliver the tragic news. It wasn't as if there was a manual for this sort of thing; how do you tell your kid that the father he doesn't remember has died? How do you explain to him that the Wicked Witch killed him? Emma had done this once before, after Tamara had shot Neal, but this was different— this time, he was really gone.

When Emma pulled up to the white structure, she put her vehicle in park and turned off the engine, but she sat in the Bug for a while before going inside. With the window rolled down, Emma rested her head against the leather seat and closed her eyes; she listened to the light drizzle that sprinkled onto the smooth concrete and never cringed when drops landed on her nose, the rustle of the leaves as the wind blew through them, and for a moment, Emma could swear she heard Neal's hearty guffaw. Even when he wasn't with her, she could picture him so clearly, it was as if he was still there; the way his salt and pepper curled at the top and his matching beard, his brown eyes twinkling as the corners of his mouth spread to his ears, the worry lines in his forehead, it was all fresh in her memory.

After some minutes flew by, Emma opened her door and heaved herself out of the driver's seat. She had to summon every ounce of vitality that she had left in her to stand up and not collapse. From outside, she could see through the window into the dining room; Henry and Regina were sitting across from each other, gaily engaging in carefree dialogue. Henry tossed his head back and Emma watched his shoulders shake with laughter. Regina even cracked a smile, and Emma knew how uncommon that was for the mayor. They looked so happy together, so at ease with one another's company. Emma felt like the bad guy in the situation, the one to crash the party.

Without a key to the house, Emma rang the doorbell once and and listened as the cheerful chimes rang through the large home. The door hadn't even opened yet, and a lump the size of a pingpong ball lodged itself in her esophagus. She could still breath, but just barely.

Regina appeared before the Savior and instantly sensed Emma's sorrow. She noted the quiver in the blonde's chin, but it didn't last very long. The mayor gestured for the sheriff to come inside, all the while observing Emma's deliberate movements. Regina was suddenly consumed with the urge to take Emma into her arms and cradle her, though she thought better of it.

"Henry?" Emma approached her son from behind. With every inch that she gained, with every step she took, the Savior received a million more punches to the gut as she braced herself for the inevitable.

"Hey, Mom. I've been thinking and, well, I believe you about— Mom?" Henry saw Emma's pink nose and drowsy expression and knew that she'd been crying. "What's wrong?"

Unsure of where to go, Regina leaned against the doorway with her legs crossed and her hands clasped behind her back. It was as though she _had_ to stay there. She _had_ to hear what the woman was going to say.

Emma Swan gave her son the weakest smile she had ever given anyone and knit her eyebrows together. She didn't care to pull up a chair next to him; she just squatted low and touched Henry's knees, staring deep into his eyes— his inquisitive green eyes. "Henry," she started, already choking up, "I know there's still a lot we haven't told you, a lot that won't make sense." _Just say it!_ she ordered herself. "I'm sorry, Henry…"

"Mom, you're freaking me out," the boy said as he examined Emma's body language. "What's going on?"

Emma glanced over at Regina for help, but the Queen had no idea as to what was happening. No one had called her to let her know. So, she turned back to Henry and blinked rapidly, letting her tears escape. "Your dad, he… he's gone."

As if Regina's sympathy for the woman couldn't have increased any more, her face softened as she processed Emma's confession. Henry, on the other hand, was in a dazed state. "What?"

Emma felt as hallow as the Echo Cave and having to repeat it only carved out more of her soul. "Neal died, Henry." Something clicked inside of her as she said that, as if it was finally true. Saying those words out loud, for everyone to hear, slapped Emma across the face as she realized Neal was never coming back. Still struggling to understand, Henry bowed his head. "You should know that he loved you so much. You were everything to him, Henry, you hear me? Even if you don't remember him, he _was_ good to you; he was a good father."

"I know," the young hero mumbled sheepishly. "I… can feel it."

Unable to even think without crying, Emma engulfed Henry in her arms and refused to let go. David was right about one thing: Henry did need his mother— both Emma and Regina. But he'd been wrong about another: Emma needed Henry just as much, if not more.

No one would have guessed that one person who could ever truly understood Emma and her bereavement was standing not five feet away from her, imprisoned by her own pride and timidity. The only woman who knew what Emma was experiencing, who had been in her position before, was watching the blonde and her son comfort each other the way she wished she could comfort them; Regina Mills was that woman.

* * *

The rest of the day went on as if it were being pursued by a dark, stormy cloud. Every move that Emma made, every word that left her mouth, and every time she looked at her son, she felt as if the entire world were fighting against her. Nothing she said or did seemed like the right thing and every decision she'd made up until now had been made with the town's best interests in mind. And still, after everything she'd worked to accomplish only resulted in death and more pain. Nothing was making sense anymore.

The fraction of their team had been unable to locate any sign of Gold. They checked the farm house again, every single store and business on Main Street, the clock tower, even the Jolly Roger. There was no trace of him, other than the golden lengths of straw they'd found the day before. Belle was positive that he was back, as she remembered him reappearing to her and Neal in the forest. But here in Storybrooke, the Dark One had somehow gone undetectable.

Because everyone knew who the witch was, Zelena was keeping her distance. Her cover was blown, by whom, she didn't know. All that she knew was that the majority of her plan had been foiled. Her anonymity had been crushed and while many of the residents wanted her destroyed, she was fairly certain none of them had the courage to do so— especially "Prince Charming." As a result, Zelena used her own magic put a protection charm around her campground, where she was also holding the Dark One hostage with his dagger. Now that she'd returned the wizard to his former glory, he did her bidding without protesting. Rumplestiltskin was her secret weapon. And all it'd taken was ordering him to kill his own son. Pity.

Emma and Henry stayed inside for the remainder of the evening. Regina gave them the space she thought they needed, while Emma told Henry the entire truth: why they really came back to Storybrooke, who they were after, who else was in their "little" family, and how important it was that he didn't go out on his own. The aging boy listened intently and clung to everything Emma said, his legs tucked beneath him like a child. He never interrupted or asked questions; all he did was listen.

When ten o'clock hit the mayor's mansion, Emma and Regina were in agreement that it was time for Henry to go to bed. Considering there were more than four bedrooms, there was no pressure for him to sleep in his old living quarters if he wasn't comfortable. But, to both of the mothers' surprise, Henry decided he wanted to try the room that he'd grown up in. Neither Emma or Regina argued his choice, took turns saying goodnight, and let him drift to sleep on his own.

"Emma," Regina whispered through the dimly lit corridor. "You're… welcome to stay here as well. You don't have to go back to the Inn. I… I'm sure Henry would like to wake up knowing that you're just down the hall." What she really wanted to say was, "Please don't go, I want to take care of you both and see you in the morning and be there for you." Of course, Regina kept that to herself. The drained Savior used the rail of the staircase as a crutch and let all of her weight fall onto the cherrywood banister. After her roller coaster of a day, Emma had nothing left in her. She was just a vacant sack of bones, too exhausted to think in complete sentences. "I _am_ sorry about Neal, Emma," Regina added at the end, having let some seconds tick by.

"Are you? You never liked the guy, you don't have to pretend like you did," Emma grumbled dolefully.

Regina dropped her gaze to the white carpeting in shame. "It's true that I was not his biggest fan, but that doesn't mean I take any joy in his passing." A thin veil of resentment was sewn into her sentiments, annoyed that anyone would think she'd find pleasure in such an event. On opposite ends of the hall, it felt as if she and Emma were an entire universe apart. In all honesty, though, they could have been centimeters away from one another, and it still would have been too far. "Emma," the Queen said quietly, "you've been through quite the ordeal today. "I— Henry would want you to be safe."

"And you think here's safe?" Emma challenged weakly.

Regina could tell Emma wanted to get into a row; she knew the feeling. She knew what it was like to want make everyone and everything the enemy. "I do, yes," the brunette said. In a moment of courage, Regina approached the figure daringly until she was close enough to see the shadows beneath Emma's eyes and the tear stains on the blonde's shirt, but not so close that she could feel her breathing. Without thinking about it, Regina took Emma's hand, lead her to an empty room, and helped her onto the mattress. At the the mayor's act of kindness, the sheriff released everything that she'd been holding in the past few hours. Her body convulsed wildly as she sobbed herself into hyperventilation. "Emma, breathe," Regina instructed as she took the seat next to her. "You have to breathe." She touched Emma's wrist and a shock was sent through each other's system, one they couldn't deny. The Savior rocketed herself at the Queen and smashed her lips against her host's in a frenzy. "Emma, stop," the brunette panted as she pushed the blonde off of her.

"Please," Emma pleaded through gulps of air. "Please."

Even in the dark room, Regina could see the agony reflected in Emma's eyes. She sensed the urgency with which the woman had acted upon, and while she couldn't completely object to the advances, Regina knew Emma wasn't in the right state of mind to make such a decision. Saying nothing, she stood up, guided the aching woman's head to the pillow, and pulled the covers over the weeping victim. However, Regina didn't leave immediately. No, she sat on the ottoman by Emma's bedside and held into her hand. That's how Emma fell asleep that night and that's when Regina realized that she was truly in-love with the Savior.

* * *

**A/N** - Hello, dearies! I know a lot of Oncers are still mourning the loss of Neal. While many people knew it was going to be him, I find it hard to deny that it was a rather poignant send-off. MRJ did a sublime job, as did JMo and Bobby. Anyway, I do hope this chapter was to your liking. I know that in the episode, Emma was the one to separate Neal & Gold, however, my reasons for changing it up will be explain in the next update. Emma's magic _was_ an important piece of the scene, and I didn't want to detract from it. I hope that you all will understand and see how it ends up. Thanks again for all the follows/reviews/favorites! I'm glad that so many of you are reading and enjoying this! More to come soon!


	6. Confessions

When Emma woke up the next morning, she was sure that she had a hangover. Every limb and muscle was deadweight, her eyes were puffy, her head was throbbing, and her throat was sandpaper. She used her core to help sit up, but even moving at a snail's pace, the walls of her room rotated around her. Blinding light cut through the faux wooden shades and were aimed for Emma's eyes; she covered her face with the blanket that she had no memory of wrapping herself in. Come to think of it, this bedroom wasn't very familiar either. Emma glanced down at her clothes and realized that somehow, she'd been put into flannel pajamas and that her hair had been put into a ponytail.

The delirious Savior flung the sheets off of her lower body, pushed past the pulsating in her mind the brief flash of nausea, and landed on the floor like a cat. She staggered to her feet and grabbed at the nightstand for stability; she waited until her vision cleared and for the ground beneath her to find stillness before groping her way to the closed door.

The very moment she entered the hallway, the scent of hazelnut coffee rose up the staircase and danced in Emma's direction. By the spotless carpet, the impeccably shining picture frames, and the antique-looking vases, Emma found herself drowning in images of the night before: talking to a solemn Henry, tucking him into bed, her standoff with Regina… lunging at the brunette. Emma clapped a hand over her forehead and exhaled loudly, like a balloon losing its helium.

She spun in a circle, like a dog chasing its tail, until her gaze fell upon Henry's room. With his door cracked open, she caught a peek of her son contentedly snoozing away. He'd gotten so tall over the last year, his feet reached the end of his bed, but he didn't seem to care. A bed was a bed.

It was not without great hesitation that Emma stalked along the wall to see Regina's quarters. The mayor's door was open, like the boy's, but there was no one in there. Her cream-colored sheets were stretched firmly across the mattress, hidden beneath the custard-yellow comforter. There was not a piece of clothing out a place, a hair on a pillow, or a wrinkle in the blanket. Even in her boggled mist, Emma wasn't surprised.

Slinking back to her room— or, the one she'd slept in— Emma jumped into the clothes from the day before, retied her ponytail into a disheveled bun, and carried her shoes with her down the stairwell. Her leather coat was hanging right where she'd left it before settling in the for the night: on edge of the banister.

As she slid into her boots, Emma noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. A purple suit and dark, brown hair came sauntering towards her while she hastily tied the laces. "I never would have pegged you as an early bird," said Regina, a flutter already starting up in her chest.

"Yeah, well, there's a lot you don't know about me," Emma snarked, bent over at the waist.

Regina chalked up the woman's sarcasm to her grief and let it slide. "I thought we had an agreement: Henry would want to—"

"Save the lecture, will ya? You're not my mother."

The husky-toned woman crossed her arms over her chest and zoomed in on Emma. "And just where are you planning to go?"

"Where do you think?" the blonde shot back, zipping up her jacket.

"Considering that we don't know where she's maintaing her residence, it couldn't be to see Zelena." Regina never took her eyes off of the sheriff, noting every slight roll of the shoulder and pursing of the lips. Emma was a movie that she couldn't stop watching— one that should be nominated for an Oscar. Yanking on her beanie and tucking in every stray hair, Emma jammed her hands into her gloves and felt for her gun. "Emma," Regina breathed. In hopes of calming the woman's manic state, the mayor tenderly reached for Emma's wrist, but Emma cowered away— mostly out of sheer mortification. "I know you've been through a lot, but I really don't think—"

"Stay with Henry," the Savior croaked, the heavy metal weighing down on more than just her hand.

"What do you expect me to tell our son? You don't expect me to lie to him when he explicitly stated that he doesn't want any more dishonesty."

"Tell him whatever you want," Emma dismissed. "He doesn't need to know where I'm going." As she moved for the door, Regina pulled a David and planted herself in the middle of the blonde and the handle. She wasn't as strong as the Prince or as tall, but she did have magic. Knowing full well she didn't have it in her to actually use it on Emma, Regina relied solely on her authority. "Regina, please," the curly-haired hero muttered.

Regina let her hands fall to her waist and rested them upon her hips, challenging Emma. "By all means, go and traipse around the town with no regard for your own safety. If that's what you would like to do, then you should do it. But, I'll be damned if Henry wakes up and doesn't know where you are, and I am certainly _not_ going to be the one to tell him he's lost a mother too. Are we clear?"

With her head hanging to one side, like a bored teenager, Emma acted as though Regina's rebuking meant nothing. Adjusting her grip on her pistol, the sheriff grasped the bronze doorknob. "Crystal." Just like that, Emma made the choice to leave the mayor's home where it was safe— where she was safe. She strutted down the walkway, making long, purposeful strides into the street; the thin wisps on her neck stood up as a freezing blast of wind sailed over her pale skin, but all she did was walk faster.

From the doorway, Regina watched Emma stroll further and further away, deeper into the heart of Storybrooke. The combination of pride and unease mixed together and sent a shiver down Regina's spine; pride in Emma's courageousness, and unease at Regina's own inability to stop the Savior.

* * *

"They're going to kill you, Zelena. There's no escaping it," the Dark One warned over a whining bonfire. His back was against a hard tree trunk, chained there by Zelena. Dawn was just breaking over the horizon; an ominous red-orange glow radiated from the rising sun and spread over the forest like a blanket, cutting through the tree limbs and hitting the ground like a spotlight. Birds sang in their twiggy nests and squirrels foraged for fresh nuts. Gold's ability to keep track of time had wavered since the Witch first imprisoned him. All he knew was that she'd captured him after his resurrection, uncovered his dagger, and most importantly, was the reason his son was dead. If Zelena wasn't in possession of his life source, he would have destroyed her ages ago.

Glossy-eyed and smiling sinisterly, Zelena merely cackled over the dying flames. After all these months, she found it entertaining that Rumplestiltskin still thought it would be that easy— getting rid of her, that is. The wicked woman gingerly pulled out the silver knife from its sheath and turned upwards slowly, watching the way the reflection of the sky above moved when the blade did. "Only if I don't kill them first," she snickered.

His suit covered in dust and his face lacking a good shave, Gold bit back the plethora of curses he could enact on the woman. Since returning to this world, his limp had returned, as well as the rest of his other human frailties. Even if she didn't have his dagger, he knew he wouldn't have been able to reach the town on foot. Zelena had created such a strong protection charm around their temporary dwellings, even Gold had difficulty breaking it. As if she were trying to appease a pet, the British being fed him twice a day and gave him a blanket to sleep with, but that was it for her nurturing; as long as he was strong enough for a battle, she didn't really care what happened him. "You really think you can win this, do you?" Rumplestiltskin wondered. "You seem to have forgotten, dearie: I taught Regina as well. She knows everything you do, perhaps even more." Like a flash of lightening, Zelena flew off of her log and grabbed the man by the throat, baring her white teeth. Gold gagged at the lack of oxygen, which only made the woman press harder into his trachea.

"If you don't want any more death by your hands," she hissed, "I'd suggest you keep that rude little mouth of yours shut. Unless, of course, you miss your old ways… Dark One?" Zelena's glower gradually transformed into a wicked smirk as she dug her nails in Gold's flesh. "I'm sure that bookworm of yours is just… _dying_ to see you again." Gold tried to fight against her bony fingers, but Zelena was quicker: she held his metal totem over his eyes and sneered at the weakened wizard. Gold shrank back against a tree and clenched his jaw, presented with no other option. He could feel the cold grip on the hilt of his dagger, the way the blood coursed through her hands and around the haft; it felt dirty, contaminated. Zelena dropped the tip of the blade down to his chest and sneered at the cowardly figure. "That's what I thought."

* * *

Emma banged on Hook's door with the butt of her gun and tapped her foot while she waited for him to answer. He was the last person she wanted to ask for help right now, but he was also the only one who was as angry as she was. Whether she liked it or not, Hook was also connected to Neal. Out of everyone, she was sure the pirate would be the best person for the job.

"Swan," the bearded man slurred as the door swung open, clearly having trouble with his balance. Hook dropped his head against the doorframe and grinned at the blonde, his usual trench coat-like layer missing from the rest of his outfit. His shadow was even thicker, darker. There were bags under his blue eyes and where his usual apparatus was screwed in, there was nothing. The man's brown jug hung out of his vest pocket and the lid was missing.

Emma waved a hand over her nose and leaned away from the drunken sailor. "How sober are you?"

"How sober are _you_?" Hook countered immaturely, breaking into fractured giggles. Without Emma's consent, he pulled her by her belt loops until their foreheads were touching and chuckled idiotically. "There there, love. No need to worry, I'm sure Baelfire would've approved."

He attempted to plant one on the Savior, but Emma wasn't hammered like he was; she swung on him so fast, Hook wasn't even sure what had happened. All that he knew was that his cheek stung— just like the other one had the first time Emma slapped him. "Don't make me do it again," the sheriff requested, fixing her hat.

As if the slap had brought him out of his stupor, Hook shook his head several times and blinked rapidly. "Swan?"

"Get your coat," Emma commanded confidently. "And your sword."

* * *

Henry was still asleep when Regina checked on him. Every five minutes for nearly two hours, the anxious mother stuck her head into his room and surveyed his calm form, the way he flipped over onto one side and then the other. His brown hair was flattened against his temples and there was a small pool on his pillow from the drool that slipped down the corner of his mouth. He only stirred a couple of times, never waking up completely. Regina still couldn't believe that her son was really home, let alone that she was staring right at him. For Pan's curse to be broken, she had to say goodbye to Henry, for what she thought would be, the rest of her life. Never in a million years would she ever have anticipated yet another curse to wash over them. Regina supposed, however, that she was rather grateful for Zelena's antics. Had her half-sister not brought them back to Storybrooke, Regina was sure that she never would have gotten her son back.

Not wanting to disturb Henry's peaceful state of being, the mother let the door close behind her and wandered about her large and vacant house. Everything was were it had always been, nothing had been removed or had gone missing in the year that it disappeared. The pictures of Henry still hung on the wall with precisely four inches between them. The coffee tables in the hallway and den were unscathed, as polished as ever. Every book was in its place as far as Regina was concerned, each volume and edition. And every pot, pan, and dish rested comfortably in their designated areas.

As she roamed the various nooks and crannies of her spacious abode, Regina slowly entered a world of memories. When she entered the living room, she saw Henry taking his first steps in his diaper and overalls; his darkening hair just beginning to curl. She could hear his triumphant laughter and see his waving fists as he toddled to the couch. Toys were scattered about the carpet, all various colors and sizes, but none of them with sharp edges.

When she stepped into the kitchen, Regina remembered Henry's first cooking lesson. She was teaching him how to make pancakes. At six years-old, the young child needed a step stool to watch the brunette flip the flapjacks in the pan, his mouth shaped like an O. Regina had folded her apron in half to fit her son and tied it around his waist, but that didn't prevent batter from reaching other spots. Henry had still managed to get flour on the tip of his nose and on the collar of his shirt.

Every room held significance to the mayor and every room made Regina feel things— things she couldn't ignore or push away. When she found herself in the den for a second time, she zeroed in on the half-empty glasses from the afternoon before. Neither Emma or Regina had finished their whiskey, for their meeting had ended on a rather sour note. The brunette lifted one of the cups, sat on the uninhabited couch, crossed her legs, and drank the lukewarm liquid. Who it had belonged to the previous day didn't matter to the woman, as she yearned for that brief relief.

A draft blew in through a cracked window and Regina fixed it with a simple flick of her wrist. This space, too, held meaning for the Queen; however, now it meant something different. As she sat stiffly on the cushion, the drink in her lap, Regina closed her eyes and was transported back to yesterday. Her heart took off on a high speed chase and her knees began to tremble subtlety. Emma was no more than a foot away from her, her breathing heavy and fragmented.

_"Tell me that you don't feel anything between us, and I'll go back to just being the sheriff. Look me in the eyes and tell me that there's nothing here— don't even _think_ about lying." _Emma's voice was hit Regina like Beethoven's ninth symphony, something she'd listened to at least once a day during work. At first, she hardly noticed anything. Regina would admit, in the beginning of their relationship, there were times that she had forgotten that Emma was even talking. But then, out of nowhere, the rest of the orchestra joined in and it was music— the most enticing, captivating music Regina had ever heard in her life, resonating through every fiber in her body. The flutes, the violins, the horns, they all blended together seamlessly and suddenly, Regina was lost in whatever Emma was saying. The Queen clung to every vowel and syllable the Savior said, totally and completely mesmerized.

_"I don't feel anything for you. Do you hear me? I don't feel anything for you." _As soon as Regina heard her words, she was repulsed by her own voice. It was nothing like Beethoven's ninth symphony, but more like his fifth: tragic, uneven, and indignant.

When Regina opened her eyes again, she was still holding onto the small glass, and she was flung back into the world of right now. Henry up in his room, thrust back into the madness of Storybrooke and all of its characters. He'd just lost his father, a man Regina really knew little about. His other mother's own mourning controlled her judgement and she would possibly come back injured, or worse… No, Regina couldn't think about that. She _wouldn't. _Henry was safe and healthy. Emma would be just fine. There's was nothing else to worry about except… except for Robin Hood.

Regina slid her hand into her coat pocket and pulled out the ruby-red ring that the thief had given her in the Forest. The diamond, shaped like a heart, was more than just a piece of jewelry: it was a symbol. Regina had spent the better half of her existence searching for someone to love her, to need her the way she'd loved and needed Daniel. Henry had been that person. And then, when the curse hit, and they were sent back home, Robin Hood had eventually become that person. The only problem was, Regina didn't love him back… not the way he loved her. The real problem was, Robin wasn't Emma. And Regina had no clue as how she was going to tell him.

* * *

Traveling through the cryptically empty woods with a half-sober pirate wasn't exactly how Emma imagined spending her Saturday. Then again, that went for the rest of her life. It had been just under a week since her arrival back to town, and just as it had always been, there was never a dull moment in Storybrooke. In many ways, the last few days didn't seem real. She kept expecting to wake up back in New York with Henry, happily going about their lives. But, alas, what Emma was experiencing was true, whether she liked it or not.

After giving Hook some time to clean up, the two disappeared into the seemingly desolate lot of land. The temperature had dropped to 30-something degrees, cold enough for them to see each other's breath expel from their open mouths. The hat and gloves Emma had put on before leaving the mansion gave her little comfort, as her fingers and ears were frozen and pink. Hook, on the other hand, still with a little alcohol in his system, went about his hike without complaints.

"Swan, I must apologize for my behavior before… it was bad form and that's the one thing I won't tolerate," Hook said, breaking the silence. "What I said is not how I feel. It was wrong for me to use his name like that—"

"Look, there's something you gotta know," Emma blurted, pausing in mid-step. She wondered if her cheeks were as red as she pictured, and she was thankful that she could use the cold as an excuse. "Here's the thing…" Emma debated with whether or not to tell him, if he could really keep it between them. There was no one else she felt that she could talk to, especially not about this. She just needed to let it out; Emma needed to tell someone the truth. "About the curse… I wasn't the only one who broke it… Regina did too."

Hook squinted under the sunlight that sought him out as a target. "I'm not following."

Having lost the sensation in her toes, Emma transferred her weight onto the other foot, praying for the grit to finish. "There's a reason your kiss didn't work before, Hook: you can't try True Love's kiss, when the other person isn't your True Love."

Desperate to read the message behind Emma's words, Hook stared back at her intently, his lips pressed together. "Swan, are you saying that… Regina is… that you two are…?"

"Whatever you're thinking, you're probably right," Emma sighed. "That's why everyone remembers— because of us." Too tired to hold herself up anymore, she dropped onto a dense, wet log and put her elbows on her knees, burying her face in her hands.

The crinkling of frosted leaves told Emma that Hook was moving. The last place she expected him to be was right next to her. "I fear that I've let you down, Swan," the captain uttered plainly.

"Huh?"

Extending his bad leg, Hook took in the swaying branches and flying petals. "A long time ago, I vowed that I would do my best to protect the ones I held dear, though there weren't many. You and Baelfire were once in my care and now, well… he's gone and you weren't given the opportunity to say goodbye. I understand now what it means to put others before yourself." As his sentiments lingered, Hook's yearning for revenge returned with full force, springing the man into air. "Enough of this." He bowed and offered Emma his hand, "M'lady." Skeptically so, she accepted his help and flicked away the tears that had escaped. "Let me promise you this," Hook started, "when we find the Witch, and she is destroyed, you _will_ get your happy ending with whomever you wish. I assure you, Swan, Bae would have wanted you to."

"That's just it, though," Emma said morosely, "neither one of us can ever know for sure what he would have wanted."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, love," Hook winked. "If there's one thing this place has taught me— correction, if there's one thing _you_ have taught me, Swan, it's that love never needs to be explained. It's right here," he held his hand over his chest. "You just have to feel it."

Curious about Hook's moment of wisdom, Emma asked, "Where's all this coming from? Last I checked, you were ready to fight for my heart."

"Aye, and I still am. The only difference is, now I'm fighting to _protect_ it," said Hook. "And that is one thing I'm sure Bae would approve of."

Ready to cry again, Emma looked up at the dazzling ball of energy and nodded to herself. "Let's go back," she breathed.

"I thought we were hunting for the Witch?" Hook followed Emma's gaze, but he didn't see what she was seeing.

"We are," the blonde affirmed. "But not like this. You're right: I do feel Neal. And right now, he'd want me to be with our son."

* * *

When Emma moped down the brick path and up the front steps, she didn't even have to knock or ring the doorbell. The barrier blocking the outside world from inside the mayor's mansion yanked open and Regina was on the other side. Emma didn't walk inside right away; she stayed there for a couple of minutes, opposite Regina and waited. The blonde rocked on her heels, back and forth, with her hands in her back pockets. Her leather jacket was unzipped and her white, knit sweater taunted Regina. Emma's slim, fit torso melded smoothly into her hips and her legs became still. Regina hadn't realized that she'd been staring.

"Well don't just stand there," the brunette chastised. "You'll catch pneumonia." She ushered the sheriff inside and shooed her to the dining room table, already putting a pot of coffee on to simmer. Emma slipped of her gloves and her hat, flinging her tangled curls over and up. "Henry's still sleeping," Regina informed. "I assume this means you didn't find her," she mused, leaning against the counter.

"Yes and no," Emma responded cryptically. Combing through her hair with her fingers, she pulled one of the chairs out and landed onto the piece of furniture. "We got halfway through the woods when Hook said something that made sense— more than I'm used to."

"And that was?"

Bouncing her knee to a beat in her own head, Emma was stricken was shyness. "He knows about the curse, Regina. I told him…"

The Queen peeled herself off of the bar and launched forward. "Told him what?" When Emma bit her bottom lip, Regina suppressed the cry of incredulousness that vibrated in her throat. "You didn't! Emma!"

"He had to know— I had to say something," the blonde defended. "It's not like he's gonna go around and blab to everyone. Anyway, he gets it, somehow." _Even if you don't_, she added mentally. "Do you wanna know what he said or not?"

The machine brewing their beverages started bubbling and spitting, and Regina waved a hand as she poured their mugs. "Go on," she said, rather disheartened.

"He said... he said that love never needs to be explained or questioned, no matter who you're with. He said all you have to do is feel it, and I felt Neal with us. I felt what he would have wanted. So, we came back." Emma's voice had lowered to a hushed whisper, as if she were talking to herself. In her brief pause, Regina had brought her a magenta glass and Emma let the warmth thaw her fingers. The other woman took the seat next to her, a change from sitting across from her. "You were right earlier," Emma went on, "it's better if we're both here with Henry. He's been through a enough."

"You both have," Regina said.

A few seconds went by, and neither of the women had anything pressing to add. They remained in a daydream-like mindset, quietly sipping their drinks. Eventually, Emma looked down at her tattoo and then to Regina. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Yesterday, when you saw this," Emma held up her wrist, "why'd you act so weird?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Regina dismissed hastily, getting up to refresh her glass.

Not convinced at all, Emma followed the woman to the sink. "Come on, if you're gonna lie, at least try harder. Really, what was the big deal?"

"Frankly, dear, I don't see how it's any of your business," the brunette remarked coldly.

"Regina," Emma touched the mayor's shoulder, "please? I… I'm really tired of all the lies, ok? Just… tell me… please?"

At first, Regina refused to make eye contact, because she knew that if she did, she wouldn't be able to turn down the Savior. Emma was like a puppy in some respects; telling her no resulted in her face falling and her excited energy vanishing. The blonde's forehead creased as her brow pressed inward and the dimple in her chin became more pronounced. Finally, Regina relented; she hunched forward in surrender and her neck relaxed. "It's a long story," she huffed, slightly miffed at Emma's ability to wear her down.

"I've got time," Emma smiled tiredly.

With a new batch of coffee at her disposal, Regina floated to the table and struggled to begin her story. "Do you remember in Neverland when I told you that Tinker Bell and I had a rough past?" Emma nodded once. "I never told you why, did I?" Emma shook her head. Taking in a long, preparatory breath, Regina rewound almost a century and started. "She once spoke of fairy dust and how far its magic could reach. I'd just married Snow's father and I was… miserable," she said honestly. "I didn't belong there; he knew it, I knew it. My own magic wasn't developed enough to escape, and Snow… well, she wanted what any girl wanted: a mother. Anyway, I told Tinker Bell about everything, including Daniel, and she said that it was possible to find another soul mate."

"Seriously?" Emma asked dubiously, obviously apprehensive.

"Yes. I didn't believe her either," Regina chuckled earnestly. "But, she wanted to try anyway. When we did, it worked, or so we assumed. It lead me to a pub— to a man… with a lion tattoo. Of course, being the fool that I was, I let my own fear steer me away from him."

"Wait, so you didn't even try?" Emma was as absorbed in the tale as any child would be, her eyes wide with wonder, falling even deeper into Regina's memories with every word that she uttered.

"As I said; it was foolish of me. So, I left and I never looked back. I stayed with Snow's father, and, well, you know the rest. However, like all stories, Emma, mine wasn't over just yet. When we were sent back last year, I crossed paths with a man who introduced himself as Robin Hood—"

"The guy who's been following you?" the Savior interjected.

"He won't be for much longer," Regina sighed. "Emma," she set her mug down and inclined forward, "he's the man with the lion tattoo, the one from the pub."

"He's your soul mate?" Emma couldn't have sounded more disappointed if she tried. And it was clear in her body language, the way she shrank in her seat and the way the glow in her green eyes faded.

"As I was meant to believe. I spent the last few months convinced that we were meant to be together, all because fairy dust said it was so. I got to know him, and he got to know me; I revealed things to him that I've never revealed to anyone else before. I learned to trust him, which wasn't easy for me. And his son, Roland," a faint smile crossed over Regina's lips, "he's rambunctious, that's indisputable."

Suddenly frustrated, Emma dropped her palms onto the table with a loud smack. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, for one, you asked. For another," Regina rested a hand on Emma's knee— the blonde didn't object—, "I finally realize that all of it was false. Emma, I spent the better part of a year telling myself that I had to be with Robin because he had a tattoo; even I know how ridiculous that sounds, and I'll admit, I'm not proud. I knew it then and I know it now. I was wrong. The dust, however, wasn't completely untruthful. It seems to have gotten the tattoo correct… just not the lyon."

As Emma digested Regina's point, she massaged her sore neck and choked back the tears of exhaustion. "Regina, I can't… I can't process things right now, not the way I usually can. My brain feels like it's gonna burst at any second, and I don't… I don't know how much more I can take. I just… I don't know."

Retracting her hand, Regina tucked a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear casually and did a visual sweep of the kitchen. "Emma, you've just experienced something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, and that's the truth. Losing your first love, well, I know the pain that comes with it. I just want you to know… if and when you want to talk, I'll be here." _I've always been here_, she thought.

Taking both of their dishes, Regina rinsed them out in the sink while Emma stayed in her spot. She could have easily run out of the room and up the stairs, anywhere to get away from Regina, but she didn't want to. There was something about the brunette's presence that calmed her, made things seem less bleak. She listened as the water rushed out of the nozzle and swirled in the glasses, and she imagined the stream spraying down her own body— the soothing effects of a shower.

The women silently let each other's company serve as conversation. For the time being, they'd both said what they wanted to say. The next step for Regina was finding Robin and letting him know her true feelings. And for Emma, she had to deal with the repercussions of Neal's death, which included some sort of memorial. She wanted Henry to be able to say goodbye to him, even if his father couldn't say it back. Immersed in their own thoughts, the Queen and the Savior had almost forgotten about Zelena. They had no plan, no battle strategy. Emma still didn't know that Regina and Zelena were sisters.

But, it would seem that their own personal problems would have to be put aside at some point. While Regina started lunch, and Emma gazed out lazily through the window, Henry had been listening in on their entire dialogue, his back pressed against the wall. Although there were still a great many things he didn't know about Storybrooke or his family, there was one thing he was absolutely sure about: his mothers loved each other. No matter who they were or what their history had been, they had a connection. While he didn't remember how they used to act towards each other, he felt that they cared about each other, just like he felt Neal's love. Henry had a new mission, one that he was determined to see come to fruition: Operation Happy Ending.

* * *

**A/N** - Hello, dearies! I'll be honest, the only parts of last night's episode I found enjoyable were the fight scene and Emma's constant concern for Regina. I really don't care for OutlawQueen, and while I don't want to see Regina hurt again, I do sort of hope that Robin Hood is working with Zelena... it's the only thing that makes it tolerable. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this update. There will be more to come soon, though I can't say for sure when. Really busy with CC classes. I'll try my best! Thanks for the follows/faves/reviews. As always, feedback is much appreciated!


	7. Magic's Power

The special of the day was grilled cheese; it was easy, classic, and everyone loved a good grilled cheese sandwich. Three plates had been set together, one for Emma, Regina, and Henry. While the women went about the meal as if nothing had happened, Henry watched the way they interacted with each other; the curt nods, the one-word answers, and above all, never so much as glancing towards one another. The precocious boy made no mention of the knowledge that he obtained, for even as this version of Henry, he knew he'd be punished for eavesdropping. So, instead, he wordlessly took notes of the blonde and the brunette's attitudes.

When the table had been cleared, Emma washed the dishes like a polite guest, and Regina nursed her fourth serving of apple cider; Henry decided to be bold. "Can I see him? My dad, I mean… can I see what he looks like?"

Emma dropped the knives they'd used to cut their meals and the silverware clattered noisily in the metal sink. The running water cut off, and the Savior dried her hands on the towel so roughly, she scratched the back of her hand. "Uh, Kid, I… I don't know if that's a good idea." She took a knee before her son and tossed the rag over her shoulder. "It's probably not the last image you want of him, Henry."

"Please?" the young man begged. "I promise, I won't puke or anything. I just want know if he looked like me, or… or if I looked like him…"

Emma and Regina exchanged a moment of consultation, the first time they made eye-contact in over an hour. "All right," the blonde resigned. "Why don't you get your coat, ok? Meet us at the door." Henry slid out of his chair and raced to the living room, out of earshot from the parents.

"Us?" Regina questioned.

"Yeah, um, would you… would you mind coming along?" Emma asked. "I was wondering if you could, maybe, do that preservation thing on Neal. If we're bury— if we're having a service, I don't want to worry about what happens several years down the line."

Smoothing down her pleated slacks, Regina buttoned her suit jacket and inconspicuously flicked her hair. "I have a better idea." Sliding the chair out from behind her, the brunette rose and smirked at the wary blonde. "Why don't I teach you how to do it?"

* * *

By order of Prince Charming, Neal's corner of the hospital had been blocked off after Emma had left. Caution tape had been pinned up over the windows and on the door, as well as around the stack of chairs stocked down the hall. No one was to enter without Whale's clearance.

As soon as Emma set foot onto the first floor, the stench of bleach and ammonia stung her nostrils and brought tears to her eyes. She sucked in the last bit of fresh air she could, but it wasn't nearly enough to hold her. The fluorescent lights ricocheted off of the newly mopped floors, the metal supply carts, and created a near-blinding trail for the group to follow— as if the signs glued to the walls weren't enough.

Emma concentrated on keeping it together, both for Henry and Regina. Neither one of them needed to witness the sheriff break down, and she was hellbent on making certain that it didn't happen. She walked just a few paces behind her son, resisting the urge to grab onto his coat for support. Regina was right next to her, and still, Emma had never felt so isolated. She hadn't banked on seeing Neal again so soon, and especially not with company.

Curving around each corner and swerving around each meal truck, it felt like an entire lifetime had flashed by before they reached Neal's room. The doctors and nurses had done everything in their power to sustain Neal's body, keeping him just as Emma had left him. However, there was only so much that could be done with a deceased person.

Dr. Whale was at the nurse's station, filling out a chart for another patient when he noticed the Mills and Ms. Swan arriving in his direction. Henry looked just as the doctor recalled, save for a couple of inches. Clicking his pen and setting the clipboard back in its pile, Whale approached the family timidly. "Madame Mayor, Sheriff Swan," he shook their hands. "You must be Henry. We've heard a lot about you," the man said innocently.

"He knows," Emma confessed. "He doesn't remember, but he knows."

"Oh?" Dr. Whale sighed. "Well, in that case, it's nice to see you again."

"You're Dr. Frankenstein," Henry realized. He'd read The Book cover to cover and had made sure to retain every identity and at least one tidbit about each person's history.

Moving past Henry's amazement, Emma cracked her knuckles nervously. "Would it… um, can we… Neal—"

"Take all the time you need," Whale said gingerly. He'd seen enough bereaved families to decipher splintered thoughts.

Eager to get by, Henry shuffled to the glass and stared into the small enclosure. From several feet away, he could only pick up bits and pieces, not enough to know for sure what his father looked like. With great hesitation, Henry clamped down on the handle and pushed gently on the door, followed closely by Emma and Regina.

The moment they walked in, the were all brutally assaulted by the pungent odor of death. There was no other way to describe such a scent, only that it was the most vulgar thing anyone of them had ever experienced. Putting on a mask of tenacity, though, Henry waded through the dense stench and neared the man on the bed. Emma tried to turn away and leave, but Regina stopped her. She gave the blonde woman a nudge towards their son, and eventually, Emma obeyed.

"Dad?" Henry squeaked, wanting to touch Neal's hand, but too shaken to even move. Taking in his father's brown hair, Henry knew who he'd gotten it from. Even in his passing, traces of Neal's raucous laughter remained and Henry sensed that he'd had a good sense of humor. The protruding veins in the older man's forearms were proof that he'd been strong, well built. His slight receding hairline gave Henry a premonition of what he might have to look forward to.

Emerging from the shadows, Emma took her place on the other side of her former lover. "You've got company," she said through shaky breaths. Although she knew Neal was gone, she still expected to see him light up at Henry's voice, sweep him up in a hug and take him sword fighting with wooden planks. Regina planted herself at the foot of the bed, which gave her the best view of both her loves.

"I'm sorry I don't remember you," Henry murmured, tugging at his scarf. "But I know you cared a lot about me… I told Mom. She said you didn't abandon us the way we thought… that's good. I'm glad it wasn't like that." As if he were talking to another friend, Henry was suddenly gabby. "I got an A on my last English test. Dunno if you were into that kind of stuff. I didn't do so well on my math exam. But that's ok, because I'm gonna study better next time." With every second that passed and with every idea that Henry conveyed to his dad, more and more pieces of Emma's heart shattered into oblivion. She felt her chin quivering and started to become clammy; she spun around quickly in hopes that Henry wouldn't see her. "People always told me I had Mom's eyes… I guess at some point I knew, but I've always wondered what I inherited from you."

"His strength," Emma answered swiftly, turning back around. "Henry, you inherited his strength." Having summoned the courage to do so, Henry slid his hand into Neal's, ignored the cold grasp and took a moment of silence for his fallen father.

After their son peered up at both of the women, Regina appeared by Emma's side. "Are you ready? Emma, hold your arms out like this," she put them over Neal's body. Emma mimicked Regina's actions. "All right, now, close your eyes and focus only on Neal. Think about keeping him safe, protected. You might feel a —" Emma fell forward violently as the sharp tugging in her stomach started. "Breathe, breathe through it," Regina guided. Emma's face contorted in agony as she wrestled against the rope around her. "That's right, you've got. Picture it wrapping around Neal tightly." A yellow glow emitted from Emma's hands and spread over Neal's form, slowly but surely. It started at his head and traveled down to his toes, and when it was finished, the glow disappeared as if it had been turned off with a flip of a switch.

The yanking on Emma's gut lessened and her frown turned into a slight grimace as she opened her eyes. "Did it work?"

Regina shrugged. "See for yourself."

At the exact same moment, a mystified Henry and an apprehensive Emma touched Neal's arms. "He's warm," the Savior wowed. "How—"

"Magic," said the Queen.

"How touching," a woman's voice mocked in the corner. Startled, Regina instinctively grabbed Emma's sleeve and cursed herself for not being closer to Henry. "Don't stop on my account. Please, continue. But first," Zelena's heels slapped against the tile as she walked into the light, "allow me to offer my sincerest condolences."

"Who the hell are you?" Emma shot back, her hands trembling ever-so-slightly.

"Don't you know?" Zelena's black dress dragged behind her and her frilled collar stretched up her long neck. She lifted her head up and revealed her sparkling eyes from the rim of her hat. "I'm the Wicked Witch." Thinking quickly, Regina put a protection charm around her son; a purple perimeter caged the boy. "I must say, it's been too long since I've seen you, little sister."

"Sister?" Emma choked.

Zelena examined her green nails dryly and made a tsk-ing noise her tongue, causing the blonde to cringe. "My, my, my, still as perfect a liar as ever, aren't we Regina?"

"What do you want?" the Evil Queen snapped, still holding onto Emma defensively.

Popping the spell that kept Henry safe like a bubble, Zelena ran her tongue over her teeth. Regina tore away from Emma and rushed to the boy, putting herself in front of him; she and Zelena were face-to-face. The elder of the two grinned maliciously at her younger sibling, "You know what I want, _sis_: everything you have."

Regina scoffed haughtily, "And what are you going to do? Take it away from me? I'd like to see you try."

"If you insist," Zelena commented sarcastically. "I'll let old dearie know that he should say goodbye to one of his two, 'best' students, something he missed out on recently. Oh, I'm sorry, too soon?" she asked Emma purposefully.

Wishing she could rip out the heart of the wicked woman, Regina contained her fury and matched her sister's power stance. "You do what you please, Zelena. By the way, I never asked: what _does_ it feel like to know you've never been wanted, hm? Not by Cora or your other family, not by Gold, and definitely not here…"

Zelena drew her arm back, ready to smack the hell out of the insolent brunette. But, she thought better of it when she envisioned a larger audience, not just the two other individuals in the room. Beaming with a crazed spark, Zelena readjusted her hat and stepped away from Regina. "You've got until tomorrow night to prepare. Main Street, eight o'clock invite whomever you like. The more the merrier," she jeered. Walking away, the Witch was reaching for the shaft on the door when she added flippantly, "Oh, and you might want to keep on eye on that Princess of yours- what was her name? Mary Margaret?" Emma flung herself so fast, Regina almost didn't catch her. Satisfied with the riled energy in the room, Zelena exited the sacred space and vanished in a swirl of green smoke.

* * *

"One day? That's it? That's all you have?" David pressed as he paced the floor of his apartment, fuming away. His daughter, Regina, and Henry had all fled to the Charming residence, straight from the hospital, bearing the news of Zelena's latest challenge. Hook had gotten there a few minutes after, alcohol free, yet still lamenting Neal's passing.

"That's all I need," Regina replied stubbornly, offended at David's unintentional slight. It seemed, to her, that the Prince was questioning her ability. Once dubbed the most powerful witch of her time, Regina was positive she'd keep the title.

"It's too dangerous," Emma countered from the other end of the table, her locks dangling freely at her waist. Other than Regina, Hook and Henry were the only ones who understood the blonde's concern. At this point, though, Emma didn't care who knew. All she cared about was Regina's well-being. "We not going to risk it."

"What other option do we have? You heard her: she'll go after your mother," Regina said. David draped his arm around Snow and cupped her swollen belly, already protecting his family from the unforeseen danger ahead. The two of them shared a moment with the Queen, who had made up her mind. "As long as I'm standing, I won't let that happen."

Scowling at the head-strong mayor, the sheriff addressed Henry, who seemed somewhat queasy. She didn't blame him; after all, he'd just been in the company of his deceased father and was almost assaulted by the Wicked Witch of the West. What teenager wouldn't be shaken up? "Kid, why don't you play your game for a little while, ok?"

"No," Henry stated firmly, his fists balled tight.

"Uh, what was that?" Emma folded her arms.

"I said 'no.' Just because I can't remember, doesn't mean I'm not still involved," the boy asserted. "I'm not going anywhere."

"He's right," Regina said, much to the surprise of everyone else. "We can't shield him from this, Emma. I want to as well, but he's old enough to know the truth." At the Charmings' and Hook's skewed brows, Regina said, "Yes, Henry knows."

Utterly astounded by the woman's stance, Emma saw no other option than to let Henry stay. "So, that's it, then, huh? You fight Zelena, possibly get yourself killed, and then what?" Visibly heated, the blonde's cheeks flushed and her ears went bright pink, the same color as a flamingo's feathers. She was too invested in the topic to even attempt to hide it.

"I say we all fight," the pirate suggested, his hook raised. "With the exception of Her Highness, of course," he added with a nod to Snow's growing stomach. "As we did in Neverland."

"No," Regina refused the offer immediately. "Zelena's my sister; this is my fight. No one else is going to get hurt." Everyone wanted to probe Regina at the word "sister," but no one had the guts to interrupt the flow of things.

A wave of disappointment washed over the team as the majority of them seethed at the very thought. There seemed little that they could actually do and that helplessness was something that none of them were particularly accustomed to. David and Snow had always been able to stand their ground successfully, Hook had always found a way to defeat a monster, and Emma and Regina were never ones to give up. A pin could have dropped in the room, rattled on the floor one time, and someone hearing impaired would have been able to pick up the sound.

"I'm fighting with you," Emma decided. "You're gonna teach me magic like in Neverland and I'm gonna help you with this." She left little room for a rebuttal, or so she thought. Snow and David could protest all they wanted, so could Regina, but Emma wasn't' going to budge. She wasn't backing down now.

"Have not you heard anything I've said?" Regina criticized harshly, her husky tone deepening with authority. "_No one_ is doing _anything_."

With the rest of the group watching in mild confusion, mostly Snow and David, Emma and Regina engaged in a silent standoff; the Savior against the Queen. Invisible shots were fired across the room, though neither of them showed signs of relenting. "Tough. You're not going in alone, get it?"

"Emma's right," David said submissively. The urge to protect his daughter battled within him, to consume him. He didn't like the idea any more than Snow did, but being as in-tune as he was with her feelings, he was sure they were in agreement. "We don't know what the Witch is capable of. Regina, you're going to need help."

"And just how much do you think you can learn in 24 hours? What— because you've accomplished one spell you think you can learn a dozen more? They're not all as straightforward, and some are even more painful," Regina informed the Savior curtly.

"You might've been the Queen back in fairytale land, but we're in my world now and I'm the sheriff. I'm responsible for everyone's safety—"

"I'm the mayor and I have the final say—"

Snow pinched the bridge of her nose and rubbed her protruding abdomen, meekly attempting to placate the energized woman. The baby didn't like its older sister bickering anymore than the mother did. "Regina, Emma, please—

"I'm not letting you go without backup—"

"Just who are you to 'let' me do anything—"

"Cut the shit Regina!"

"Stop!" Henry roared forcefully, capturing the attention of all the adults. His mothers ceased their endless arguing immediately, their gazes falling to their shoes in shame. He'd never raised his voice at anyone before, in either of his lives. Henry wasn't used to the adrenaline that accompanied his fervor. His entire torso was rattling with his heartbeat, his chest puffed in and out rapidly, and pupils were dilated to the size of pingpong balls. Everyone was gaping at the boy, and everyone was equally as astounded. Henry had always been a quiet kid, but now… "Stop fighting. It's not gonna solve anything."

"The boy is right," Hook limped forward. "A solution has to be made and we haven't got much time."

Like a pouting toddler, Emma stuck out her bottom lip and rolled her eyes dramatically. All she wanted to do was help Regina. Why was that such a bad thing? Why was the brunette being so inflexible? They both had magic, and they both knew that they were much stronger together than they were apart— even if Regina had yet to admit it. Between the Savior and the Queen, they had to be able to get rid of the Wicked Witch; if they couldn't, then who would?

Rolling her neck in hopes that it would crack and cut the tension, Emma wished she had something to match Regina with, who was doing her best to ignore the blonde. "I swear to God, Regina, the moment it goes south, I'm blasting her ass to Neptune. I'll find a way to do it. Until then, I'll wait in Gold's Shop."

Not particularly proud of the way she had won this round, Regina remained placid, blinking once and only moving her lips. "Fine. And you make sure that no one is put in the line of fire, do you hear me? We've had enough… fatalities as it is." Thrusting her arms into her coat, Regina snatched her gloves and her scarf. "Now, if you'll excuse me: I have to… prepare." Before she left, though, she walked up to her son and brushed his hair out of his face. "Henry, yesterday when you asked about my magic; I know that I told you I rarely use it, and that's true. Magic always comes with a price. What I'm asking, though, is for your blessing. Do you… do you understand what I'm saying?"

"I think so," Henry mumbled. Then, he admitted, "Not really."

Unable to hide her faint smile at his youthful innocence, Regina merely rephrased her request. "I need to know that you won't be angry with me after tomorrow. We're still getting to know each other again; I might have to do things… things I don't want to do."

"Like— like kill her?" the teenager stammered. Regina said nothing, and Henry started to catch on. Although he was still on the roller coaster of the ride called Storybrooke, he sensed there was something in Regina, something that made it easy for him to trust her— not only the fact that she was, indeed, his mother. Reaching for her shoulder like he did the day the curse took over, Henry waited until her eyes fell upon him. "Whatever you do, I still don't think you're evil."

Incapable of thanking her son without exploding in a fit of tears, Regina ushered herself out of the apartment and carried on with her afternoon. She was half-hoping that Emma would run after her like the last time, and she was a little disappointed when then blonde was nowhere to be seen. Regina continued down the street, back to the mansion, and teleported to her destination from her living room. She didn't want anyone knowing where she was going.

* * *

"Miss me, dearie?" Zelena inquired as she crossed through the charm. By early evening, the fire had fizzled out and was in dire need of a recharge. The sad flames had long since lost their spark, and all that was left was charred firewood and ashes. Gold hadn't left from his place since Zelena departed; he hadn't been able to. The woman had hexed his chains, making them impenetrable. He'd been stuck to that wretched tree trunk for hours, furiously grumbling away to himself. The only upside to being alone, was having the space to grieve for his son.

Gold spat in Zelena's general direction, but missed by several feet. "I hope they roast you alive," he growled, jerking at his leash.

The frigid air, though unbearable for most people, was eerily comforting to the Wicked Witch. With every breeze that caressed her bare skin, she spiraled deeper into her realm of envy and greed. "Ah, but they'll have to go through you first, won't they?" she asked, raising his dagger. When she saw the fear flicker upon his face, Zelena let out a shrill laugh that rang through the forest and sent even the smallest of insects scurrying back to their homes. "We both know this has been a long time coming, Rumplestiltskin. Come Monday morning, this town shall have a new Queen— its rightful ruler."

Gold detested hearing his name on her tongue. It was like nails on a chalkboard to the aging wizard; it was vile, full of malice. Although it was chilly, the man was sweating like a wild hog. Large, circular stains of perspiration gathered beneath his arms, by his neck, and at the base of his back. Everything from his elbows down had become numb during his capture, though the tips of hit fingers tingled every once in a while. Holes had been torn through his shirt and pants, and dirt had covered up the patches, seeping deep into open wounds. Gold had experienced plenty of hostage situations, but most of the time, he'd been on the other end. Bearing his silvery teeth, the Dark One leaned in as far as he could go, reaching further into the empty space. "Killing Regina won't solve your problems; it'll make them worse."

Sliding the side of the blade against Gold's neck, as if she were about to slit his throat, Zelena tapped the point against his Adam's apple. "We'll see about that."

* * *

So as not to look too suspicious, Emma gave it two hours before packing up and chasing after Regina. There were very few places to conceal one's self in Storybrooke, with the exception of Zelena of course, and the sheriff was getting ansy in the crowded apartment. Henry was getting along swimmingly with his grandparents, who were happily bringing their grandson back into their realm; while Snow and David did so, Henry gave no hint of his moms' affections for one another. As eager as he was to help his mothers together, he knew better than to say anything in front of the others.

When second hand landed on the 12 and the clock struck three, Emma dumped her cold coffee into the sink, dropped her mug, and shimmied into her red, leather jacket, tossing her hair over the collar. Hook had placed himself on the stairs, neutral ground between Emma and the royals. He didn't exactly feel welcome in either of the vicinities and this allowed him to be present, but with distance. One moment of eye-contact between the pirate and the Savior was all it took for him to know exactly where she was going.

Sitting on the floor, Henry rested upon his legs as he taught David the ins and outs of a personal gaming system. The older gentleman tried not to look so bewildered at the small piece of technology, but his detached jaw said it all. Snow was next to her husband, reading the baby book she'd acquired and gasping at some of the horrid facts.

"Do you guys mind keeping an eye on Henry for a while?" Emma asked nonchalantly, putting her hat on just right.

"Of course," David said without questioning his daughter's decision, transfixed on the high definition screen in his hands. He steered the device as if he were driving a real car and grunted when he crashed into a ditch. "If that's ok with you?" he posed to Henry after tearing away from the addicting game.

Now on his feet, Henry walked up to his blonde mother; the white strings of his zip-up hoodie bounced against his body and his blue-striped shirt poked out from under them. The overhead lights beat down upon his bangs and further highlighted his growing stature. Already sensing where Emma was headed off to, and wondering what had taken her so long, Henry rubbed his jaw in a fidgety nature. "Mom, she's not gonna… you don't think she'll… I mean…"

"Nothing's gonna happen, Kid, ok?" Cradling her son's neck, Emma whispered into his ear, "Your mom is good, Henry. Never forget that."

"I know," he responded calmly. "I can feel it."

* * *

Regina had been working on the same potion for over 40 minutes. Surrounded by her mother's spell books and other magical paraphernalia, the Queen had focused solely on one liquid for her duel against Zelena. It wasn't a permanent solution to ending whatever grudge the Witch had against the brunette, but on such short notice, Regina could think of no other plausible measure.

Tucked away in the stone-walled and concrete-floored mausoleum, the wooden trunk of all things personal sat with the lid open and all of its contents vulnerable. The vault of hearts— the _empty_ vault of hearts— served as a reminder of the life Regina had been so perilously working to escape. After years of name-calling and taunting from various residents, including her own son, the mayor of Storybrooke was more determined than ever to prove that she was a good person. When she beat Zelena— and she would beat her— Regina could finally get her happy ending, she was sure of it. And maybe, just maybe, dare she entertain the thought, the brunette's happy ending could be with Emma.

As a black, heavy cauldron growled and steamed, Regina followed the instructions that she'd memorized all those years ago. The ingredients were simple and the end result was one she was familiar with. Just one more drop of elf blood, and all Regina had to do was sit and wait until Sunday night. Almost as if she were conducting surgery, she delicately lifted the slender test tube off of its stand, tilted the rim over the boiling pot, and let precisely one speck fall into the stew.

"You're getting kinda predictable."

Regina jumped into the air and almost released the entire pipe into the cauldron. Luckily for her, though, she caught it just in time. "Have you lost your mind?! You could have gotten us both killed!" she chastised the blonde woman. Emma stood in passageway, her legs shoulder-width apart and her hands on her hip bones. The light streaming behind her outlined her form perfectly, as if she were an angel on a the front steps of Heaven. When she strode away from the door, her heels scuffed against the cement and sent Regina recoiling inwardly. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?!" the Queen shouted, holding up the elf's blood.

"Uh, what the hell is that?" Emma examined the orange goo from all angles, still as dumbfounded as ever. That's when she noticed Regina's little science experiment in the middle of the room and put on her serious face. "What the hell is _that_?" she asked, pointing to the bucket of mystery. She took one whiff of the rising odor and coughed until her face was red. "Jesus Christ how can you stand that?"

Paying absolutely no attention to Emma's immature antics, Regina went on and stirred the blue goop with a glass ladle. "How did you find me?" was all she wanted to know.

"You weren't at your house and you weren't in your office. I just connected the dots."

"You also assumed you had the right into a familial crypt, I see," Regina said. "Henry's protected?"

"As much as he could be without the two of us," Emma jested. She hovered over the pot as far as she could without invading Regina's zone of personal space and held her breath. "Seriously, what is that? 'Cause, I'm pretty sure it's not vegetable soup."

"Very astute, dear." Regina filled three empty bottles, slid a cork topper into them, handed one to Emma, and shook the one in her own possession; the blonde followed her movements. "This, Emma, is what put your mother into her heavily sedated state; it's a sleeping curse."

Immediately, Emma's wrist went limp and she stopped mixing the liquid. She stared at it as if she'd just been told she was holding someone's heart in her palm and was debating whether or not to get rid of it. "You're gonna use this on Zelena? That's your big plan?"

Deeply insulted, Regina swiped the potion from the irritating woman and started on the third vial. "That depends; have you come up with anything in your infinite knowledge of magic?" she asked, her inquiry bleeding with sarcasm.

"I mean, no, but there's gotta be something else right? Something more… um... ?"

"I'm not going to kill her, since you're too scared to ask." Sealing the three servings in a velvet pouch, Regina seemed satisfied with what she had come up with. With a wave of her hand, the rest of the supplies returned to their home in the chest and the lid slammed shut; the lock on the outside clicked into place as if controlled by a remote. Sizing up Emma's wrinkled forehead and downturned smirk, Regina regretted her witty tongue and all the trouble it got her in. "Forgive me, that was… insensitive."

"But true," Emma quipped. Not wanting to dwell on her own sorrow, she brought the subject back to Zelena. "So, you really think that's gonna work?" she nodded to the bag.

"I don't see why not. For it to be broken, she'd have to have True Love's kiss, and as far as I'm aware, there is no such person in her life," Regina thought out loud.

"How're you gonna get her to drink it?"

"Leave that to me; I'll find a way."

Scratching a spot under her wool hat, Emma said, "We've still got some time, Regina. You can at least teach me _some_ magic."

"Tempting, but I'm afraid not. I'd rather be assured that you're practiced and ready, not rushed and going on a whim." The glass containers jingled together in their sack each time the brunette shifted her grip. "Emma… remember, magic is already _in_ you… What you did earlier with Neal— you should be proud. Most beginners can't even grasp a basic charm, much less a preservation spell. I… I see why you're the Savior."

"I can't tell if that was an insult or a compliment, so I'm gonna say thanks anyway," the dimple-chinned woman said. "Can I tell you something?"

_Always._ "I don't see why not," Regina sighed; her leather gloves rubbed together as she curled her fingers around the pouch's golden cords.

Scanning the freezing and dark crypt, Emma started to get a sense of the Queen's past. It was like a glimpse into the person Regina had once been and the environment she'd been trapped in; the shelves for human hearts, the gray walls, the black trunk, and the feeling of segregation. She'd only been around Cora for less than a week, but Emma had seen enough of the Queen of Hearts to know that she hadn't been a good mother— not the kind Regina wanted.

Wanting so much to close the gloomy space between them, Emma restrained herself. Instead, she merely reached for the satchel and jiggled it out of Regina's firm clutch. "Maybe I should I hold onto these. You know, since I'm not the one Zelena's targeting. Don't want her taking everything valuable."

A million percent confident that that wasn't what Emma was initially going to say, Regina had the urge to dig deeper. But, with the day that the blonde had endured, and considering it was barely halfway over, she decided better of it. With a coy smile that couldn't have been hidden through an iron mask, Regina snorted in dismissal. "I agree that they should be kept safe. However, the same reasoning applies to you, Emma. I wouldn't want her taking everything that's valuable, either."

* * *

**A/N **- I hope you enjoyed that chapter! I had some more time this week than I'd originally thought. I love spring break! Thanks for the amazing reviews/follows/favorites! It's the highest amount of followers any of my stories has received other "The Queen's Savior!" More to come soon!


	8. An Almost-Family

Zelena had scrupulously and deliberately mapped out each and every move for decades. Her eminent confrontation with Regina was one that she'd dreamt about endlessly and had envisioned many, many times during her daily rituals. The women had almost duked it out back in the Enchanted Forest, but Zelena had chosen to enact the new curse, thus bringing them back to Storybrooke. She wasn't stupid; the Witch knew it would be broken soon enough, but it gave her extra time to solidify her next moves.

Every little occurrence, every new face she encountered just became another part of her plan. Robin Hood was a convenient distraction for Regina; someone who could steer the brunette away from Zelena's trail. The red-haired woman hadn't anticipated for the thief to show up, but it sure came in handy. She watched the budding couple from afar, had the monkeys report their findings of the Queen and Mr. Hood. Granted, in this world, their relationship may not have been what it was, but Zelena was sure she'd find another way to toy with Regina.

When she found out about Gold's son, Zelena only saw Neal as her next victim. As her mentor had taught her, the best way to get to someone— to get them to follow orders— is to go after the one thing they hold most dear. For Rumplestiltskin, that was his boy. It had been quite easy, as well, getting the Dark One to kill his own son. With his dagger in her possession, all that she had to do was threaten him once, and the wizard did it. Before she knew it, she had born witness to a form of magic she'd never seen before, but one she wouldn't mind seeing again. The only remorse Zelena felt, was for the loss of such an attractive man.

And then came the notorious Savior— the child of Snow White and Prince Charming. Emma's reputation had preceded her in the Forest for those who had never met her. Word traveled exceeding quick from town to town of the triumphant blonde, the way she'd slayed a dragon with her father's sword, her ability to sense lies from anyone who even attempted to fib, and her growing magical powers. Zelena had no doubt that this stranger would be an opponent. If anything, she was counting on it. There was something between this warrior and Regina, Zelena figured. She didn't know just what it was, yet, but she would find out. When she did, the Witch couldn't wait to see how she could use the Savior against Regina. And, while she may not have been formally introduced to this adored blonde, but Zelena was sure that Emma was no match for her.

With just over 24 hours until game time, all Zelena needed to do was mentally prepare herself. When facing off against Regina, there was little doubt in her mind that she would win; the question was, how far would she go to come out as the victor? And, on the chance that she lost, what did that mean for all of Zelena's hard work?

* * *

Like any other family on a Saturday night, Regina, Emma, and Henry were at home, scattered around the enormous building that Regina owned. Dinner was still cooking in the oven, and the various inhabitants of the mayor's mansion did everything but sit idly by. Too much was going on in the world around them to ignore. In some way or another, they each were getting ready for the next day.

Henry sat cross-legged on his bed with The Book open in his lap. He read and re-read every line and every chapter, soaked up the information like a sponge, went onto the next story, and started over. Nowhere in the pages did it every make mention of another Mills daughter. Henry went through it a dozen times total, and nothing— absolutely nothing was ever said about Regina having a sister. Then again, The Book never really shed light on any of Regina's life, other than the fact that she had once been considered evil.

Already in his sweatpants and tee shirt, Henry set aside leather-bound artifact and took a tour of the rest of his room. School books were piled on top of his desk; subjects spanning from pre-algebra to physics, to English and poetry were tossed over one another. His canvass backpack was slung over the wooden chair and he grazed the hand-sewn letters of his initials; he could tell it had been made with great care and affection. He surveyed the blue and white-striped wallpaper and wished he could remember if he'd picked it out or not. Back in New York, his walls were covered in posters and pictures on printer paper. He couldn't even imagine choosing such a boring pattern.

When he'd seen all there was to see of his own room, Henry ventured out into the hallway and tiptoed over roll-out carpet. Everything was so neat and organized, not like his and Emma's place. There was not a speck of dust to be detected, no scratches on the white-painted walls, and definitely no stains in the rug. He didn't have to know much about Regina to know that she was a neat freak.

As he walked up and down the corridor, Henry came across some markings on the inside of his doorframe— pencil sketches he hadn't noticed before. Starting from about a foot and half off of the ground, were hand-drawn, seriously straight lines. On one end was a date; on the other was his name and an age. "March 24, 2002; Henry, one year." A few inches above it, "June 12, 2005; Henry four years." The taller Henry got, the more lines there were. And, when the lines stopped, there was a lone marking three quarters of the way to the top. "March first, 2014; Regina." There was no age, but that didn't matter to Henry. He was just trying to figure out why the woman would have tracked her own height.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Regina moved about the kitchen like a fly. One moment she was grabbing for something in the fridge, the next she was pulling a glass tray out from the stove. She was a one-woman wonder, though she'd deny it if anyone had the gaul to say it to her face. Regina flitted through the open space gracefully; she made fresh apple cider, set the table with exactly the right amount of plates and silverware, and even put away the clean dishes, all without using magic. Ordinarily, she'd have called Henry down to assist her, but tonight, she didn't want to interrupt his deep thinking. He was still getting used to being in a new place, much less assuming the role of her son all over again. Regina didn't want to put a cramp in his processing. The same went for Emma; the Queen's sympathy outweighed her silent yearning for company and she really didn't mind. Regina was used to be being alone. The only difference was now, she wasn't totally on her own; she was just… consciously separating herself.

With her son dawdling upstairs, and the woman she couldn't stop thinking about creating a meal for them, Emma sat in the den with a glass of hard cider. Knowing full well that Regina would rebuke her for having her feet on the couch, Emma did it anyway. She brought her knees close to her chest and let her mind drift away from the craziness of today. Everything from guilt to contentment floated around in her head and heart as she disconnected from the rest of the household. First and foremost, though, Emma was confused.

There was no questioning her grief over Neal, the father of her child and a man she would have died for at one point in her life. They had a long and messy history together, but that's what made it work; that's why she cared about him so much. If anyone had asked, Emma would have said that she regretted nothing about her relationship with Neal, which was true. All that they'd gone through together had lead them to this point, including his passing. The only thing she would have changed would be getting a chance to say goodbye.

And then, there was the confusion. Keeping in mind her feelings towards Neal, her feelings towards Regina crept into Emma's spirit. Here she was, not even a day after Neal had died, and she was already crushing on another person. Scratch that— she was already _in love_ with another person. However, to be fair, this wasn't some sudden newsflash for Emma. If she were thinking about it clearly and rationally, she'd see that it hadn't happened over night. This had been coming for a long time, even before she found Neal again. Her and Regina— they had their own history between them. It wasn't a full or as messy as hers and Neal's, but it was _theirs_. It was something she and Regina could share, other than Henry.

Each time Emma sipped from her stout glass, the ice slid into one another and sent a shiver down her neck, all the way to the base of her back. Goosebumps rose over her biceps and forearms, but she wasn't bothered by it. It only lasted for a second, and soon, Emma was thinking about Regina again. Whatever went down Sunday night, she was _not_ going to let Regina get hurt. She didn't care if she had to shoot this Wicked Witch until she was out of bullets, Emma was_ going_ to do something. She'd never been the type of person who was ok with being a bystander; she _had_ to get in on the action.

"Dinner's ready!" Regina announced through the halls; her thick, guttural voice echoing like a melody. Emma waited until she heard Henry trampling down the stairs to stand up. "Not so fast! You'll trip!" Regina reprimanded.

The blonde grinned to herself as she listened to Henry mumble an obedient, "Yes ma'am." She'd told her son countless times not run through their apartment, and she hardly ever received a "Yes ma'am," let alone a "Sure." Then, Emma stopped short as she realized those "countless times" were nothing more than a couple mentions over the last year. And, for a fleeting second, Emma felt resentment towards Regina for giving her memories of such a perfect life only to have it ripped away from her in an instant.

Before she could sink even deeper into the hole of emotions, Emma gulped down the last bit of liquid courage, made sure the velvet pouch was securely tucked into her pocket, and commanded her legs to carry her forward. She followed the trail of light from the kitchen, straight down the corridor, and entered the room with a wry smile. Henry was already at the table, hungrily eyeing the lasagna that Regina put in the middle. "Wow… this looks…"

"Amazing!" Henry finished Emma's sentence. "Totally beats pizza!"

Swatting the boy with an oven mitt she swiped from the counter, the blonde took her spot across from Henry. "I thought you liked pizza."

"I do, but Mom, look," her son gestured to the freshly-served meal. "It's not from a box!" Stifling a proud grin, Regina sat at the head of the table yet again and folded her napkin perfectly. It was weird; this almost felt normal for her. Sitting with Henry and Emma, passing food around to one another, watching the way he and the sheriff joked with each other— it all seemed so innocent, so… comfortable. "Oh man, this is good," Henry moaned as he shoved another forkful into his mouth. His cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk's and there was red sauce on the corners of his lips, but neither Emma or Regina told him. They both found it adorable.

"I'm glad you like it," Regina said. "If only everyone was so easy to win over."

"I doubt everyone's had this," Emma chuckled, in agreement with Henry. "I gotta say, this is really good."

"Well, thank you," the brunette half-whispered as she cleared her throat. Accepting compliments was foreign territory for Regina, especially when they came from Emma. "Henry," she said, switching the focus onto him, "I've been meaning to apologize for my behavior earlier today. It was immature and disrespectful to you… and Emma."

From below, Emma felt a scream-worthy kick in her shin as Regina rammed the tip of her high heels into her. "Yeah, me too," the blonde blurted. "I shouldn't have cussed in front of you."

"You're adults," Henry brushed off. "Adults get mad… maybe not about fighting witches, but it's cool. No worries." The growing, young adult devoured the rest of his plate in just a few bites, already helping himself to another serving. He ran his napkin over his face once, which only smeared the sauce from his mouth to his chin, and caused Emma to break out in laughter. "What?" he asked.

Not as easily amused, though she found it sweet, Regina took her own towel and moved to clear the mess. When Henry dodged her reach, the brunette was suddenly reminded of her true role for the time being. "Excuse me," she retracted, going stiff. "You… you had some food right here," Regina rubbed a thumb over her own chin. "I'm sorry."

Scrubbing his skin with the back of his hand, Henry moved onto bigger and better topics. "So, what else happens in this town? I mean, other than being invaded by a witch and all?"

"What hasn't happened?" Emma snorted, holding her cold cider to her head. That was a great question, everyone would admit. Where to begin, what to tell Henry that wouldn't make him flip his wig even more, Emma didn't know. She'd filled him in on as much as she could handle the night before, but in reality, it hadn't been very much; just information about the town and who people really were. She hadn't gone into a ton of details. Emma watched as Regina pushed aside her square of lasagna with her fork and knife, taking in the suffering in the Queen's chestnut eyes. "What would you say if I told you that we met Peter Pan?" Emma asked Henry.

"No way! Like, the guy who never ages?" Mr. Mills perked up.

"Yeah, him. Only, uh, he wasn't as nice as Disney made him seem. He uh… he was kinda evil," the blonde muttered. "And, um, he was your great-grandfather."

"Uh… seriously?" Henry's head fell a few inches as he let his jaw open wide, and not out of hunger. He looked to Regina, a way to reengage her in the conversation, and dragged her back in. "Is that for real?"

As if she hadn't realized he was talking to her, Regina didn't answer the first time. She was too lost in her own melancholy to have heard Emma and Henry. "Isn't that right, Regina?" It was the Savior's turn to kick Regina under the table. When she was sure she got the woman's attention, Emma scooped up her scraps casually. "The Kid's got a wacky family tree, doesn't he?"

"Oh, ye— yes," Regina sputtered. "Yes, you've got relative all around town it would seem."

"That's what you meant…" Henry zeroed in on Regina. "When you said I'd have more family than I knew what to do with— you meant everyone… you meant you?"

Not entirely sure of what Henry was referring to, Emma turned from mother to son and let them have their staring contest. She could see the gears just beginning to grind in Henry's mind, and she knew he was thinking carefully about something. It must have had to do with their time together the other day; when Regina took Henry for ice cream.

Amidst the deafening silence, heavy raindrops pounded against the windows like a stampede; strong winds sent the shutters clattering against the house and tree limbs were thrust against the glass barriers. Lightning struck intermittently and clashes of thunder rang through the town like an angry ogre on a vendetta. Cars honking at each other and Pongo's ferocious barking filled in the few voids between the howling cries of the night's sky. The overhead lights flickered on and off a couple of times before cutting out completely, leaving the trio to fend for themselves in the dark. He wouldn't admit it, but Henry was starting to get a bit anxious.

Quick on her feet, Emma retrieved her cellphone and used it as a flashlight; she shined it over the table and back and forth from Henry to Regina. Both of the darker-haired beings were unharmed. "Oh yeah, I guess you can add freak storms to the list of what happens," Emma mused. Summoning a ball of white luminescence into her open palm, Regina got up and peeked through the window, out to the streets. The image was distorted by the precipitation on the surface, but she could just make out the neon lights of Main Street. Nobody in their right minds were walking around in this weather, but that didn't totally assuage her instinctive worry. "Regina, where's the fuse box?"

"The what?" Mrs. Mills replied absentmindedly. By now, Henry joined her at her side and he too gazed out at the desolate town.

"You know, the thing that turns the lights back on," Emma said somewhat impatiently. She'd never been quite fond of the dark. It wasn't a fear, so much as it was a… superstition; nothing good ever came out of it. The sheriff stood at the end of the table with her phone guiding her forward. She let a few seconds go by before allowing herself get drawn to the window. Sticking her chin over Henry's head and maintaing a safe distance from Regina, Emma scanned the blustery roads and flooded sidewalks. The last of the electronic store signs shut off and the small strip of Storybrooke had never looked so gloomy— not even when Gold gave his life to kill Pan.

With her device out in front of her, Emma caught Regina's furrowed brow in her reflection. But, before she could prod the brunette, Regina spun around; the floating, weightless source of light still in her possession. "Right, the buttons marked with the rooms. It's in the washroom." Saying nothing, she briskly strode down the hall, followed by Emma and Henry, and lead them to the last opening on the left.

Emma surveyed the small, cold enclosure with a keen eye. A washing machine and dryer were pushed next to one another, in about as pristine shape as one would imagine. Even the laundry detergent was organized on the shelf above the appliances. Two wicker baskets sat in the corner, not a shred of wood out of place. And, on the wall across from the door, was a gunmetal gray square with a black handle. Emma slid past her host and opened the straight-edged body.

12 switches, six on each side, were marked with stickers. Every single room that had a working current was connected to this little machine. Emma slid her finger down the middle until she landed on the lever with "Kitchen" written in cursive. "Kid, stand in the hall and lemme know if it works, ok?" When she heard Henry's clompy footsteps, she pushed down on the tiny bar and held her breath. "Anything?"

"Nope," Henry shook his head, although Emma couldn't see it.

Trying again, the blonde flicked it off and back on. "Now?"

"Uh uh."

"Great," Emma grumbled to herself. Turning back to Regina, she chewed on her tongue. "Looks like we're out of power for the night. Got any candles?"

Her face illuminated by the glowing sphere of magic, Regina glanced up at the Savior with a suspicious expression. "I have a better idea. Here, do what I do." She made her way to the circuit board and searched the technological contraption. As much as she wished for an old-fashioned kerosene lamp, Regina had just figured out a way an easier solution. Closing the cover, the mayor placed her hand over the metal door and Emma did the same. "Remember; think about what you want to happen and it will." The two women shut their eyes and while Emma hunched forward, Regina stayed with her spine straightened.

Within seconds, all of the lights in the home returned and Emma let go. When she got her breathing under control, she gawked at the fuse box and then at Regina. "Well that was new."

* * *

The last few hours of Saturday night dwindled away before any of them knew it. Henry was the first to finish his supper, only so that he could attack Emma and Regina with questions about magic. For now, Regina wasn't going to be the party crasher; she'd much rather let Emma's confidence in her powers grow at an even rate. Telling the blonde she brought the electricity back all on her own was a discussion for another time.

After dinner, neither of the individuals stayed up too much longer. As eager as he was to know more, Henry wanted to return to his room and get back to reading. It came as a shock to Emma, mostly. The Henry that she had false memories of, the one she thought she raised, hated to read— absolutely loathed the activity. But, hey, you tell a kid his entire family's history is in one book, and bam! He can't put it down.

Before sprinting up to bed, though, Henry paused at the base of the stairs and backpedaled to the kitchen. "Madame May— Um, Regina?"

"Yes?" The Queen let the transparent tray slip into the pool of soapy water and dried her hands on her apron. Emma was just putting the leftovers in the fridge when she heard Henry.

"I was just wondering… are you, like, scared about tomorrow?" Henry inquired after clearing his throat. "You know, about the fight with whatsername?"

"Not at all," Regina said without missing a beat. "She's the one who should be afraid," she winked.

Lacking his other mother's superpower, Henry gave a relieved sigh and smiled at the older woman. "Cool. Uh, thanks for dinner. Goodnight!" And just like that, the Mills-Swan boy galloped up the staircase— without tripping— and left the mothers alone. This time, he wasn't even close to being in earshot.

As Regina finished putting the dishes in the washer, Emma narrowed her eyes at the dutiful figure. "He might've believed you, Regina, but I know I don't."

Pressing the start button, Regina untied her smock and picked the lint off of her shirt. "Believe what you wish, but my answer won't change." The gurgling engine next to her almost detracted from the intensity of the moment— almost. She lingered by the sink just a bit longer, though she didn't have an exact reason why. It was a combination of wanting to be around Emma, and not wanting to be alone because to be honest, she _was_ kind of scared.

"Thank you for you tonight," Emma uttered somberly. "I would've probably spent this time at a bar getting really hammered or… something. Not with people I care about."

Not letting herself get too excited, Regina contained her fluttering heart. "You're welcome. I… I'm sorry the peace won't last for too long."

Absorbing Regina's radiance before heading off to sleep, Emma merely said, "I guess I'll see you in the morning?"

"Well, this _is_ my house."

"Right, right," the Savior nodded. Getting ready to leave was like bracing one's self to rip of a bandaid— the large, square kind with the extra adhesive. "Goodnight, Regina," Emma finally whispered.

Waiting until after the woman had disappeared from her line of view, Regina said to herself, "Goodnight, Emma."

* * *

**A/N** - I'm so sorry about that! I don't remember pasting the last part twice! And here I thought I'd moved past careless mistakes! Sorry! Thanks for letting me know! More to come soon! And definitely some real action in the near future! Thanks for the follows and reviews, dearies!


	9. Knowing

_People came pouring out of the stores and restaurants like ants, jogging into the middle of the road. Haggard murmurs quickly became disturbed chattering as more and more spectators came across their dead leader. Audible gasps and cries of fright rippled through the masses; hands flew to chests and eyes were averted. Emma was the first to arrive at Regina's side and swept her into her arms, cradling the woman's lifeless vessel. Regina— the one who was witnessing it all— opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Her vocal chords vibrated as if she were screaming at the top of her lungs, but she heard nothing, and neither did anyone else. _

_"What did you do?!" Emma shot at the enemy, who would hardly contain her own glee. The ground was wet and cold from the never-ending showers that nature presented them with. It was still drizzling just a bit and light drops fell on everyone but on the real Regina. All that Emma felt was the weight of the woman she loved in her embrace. _

_Charming held Henry back, away from the center of the circle the town had created. In its center were the three adult women, and there was no way David was going to let his grandson any nearer to the British beast. Rumplestiltskin was on Zelena's heels like an obedient dog, though his own face expressed real sorrow at the loss of his former student. Everyone stood in horror and everyone was equally as terrified of Zelena. If the Wicked Witch had the power to bring down Regina, how the hell could they fight her?_

_Crouching by the bittersweet moment of pity, Zelena moved pat Regina's head and was reciprocated with a slap from Emma. The blonde karate chopped the Witch's arm and all but growled at the sneering woman. The pure agony in Emma's green eyes, the tears dripped onto her chest, and the trembling of her dimpled-chin all incited genuine fear in Regina. She had never felt so helpless in her entire life, including Daniel's death. _

_"Exactly what I told her I would," Zelena finally answered, after rising to her full height and smiling at the crowd that had assembled around her. She reveled in the citizens' petrified states and hoped beyond hope they were quaking in their boots— as they should be. Zelena did so love a good audience, and even more, a good plot twist. "Your Evil Queen is no more," she announced happily. "Long live the _Wicked Witch_."_

* * *

"Regina? It's me. Regina!" An earth-stopping hammering shook Regina awake the next morning, though she hadn't exactly been asleep; not with that nightmare replaying over and over again. Her satin sheets and feather-filled comforter had all been kicked off and twisted on the other half of the bed, her pillow had sweat stains, and the mayor panted heavier than someone who'd just finished a triathlon. What should have been a calm night's rest before a big battle ended up being just the opposite: stressful and grim. "Are you ok in there?" Emma's uneasy tone seeped through the keyhole, traveled over the carpet, and up the side of the mattress until it reached Regina's pre-installed listening devices.

"I'm fine!" she called back in a hoarse voice, this time without a doubt that sound came out. Slowly, Regina put herself into sitting position, propped her cushions up behind her, and rested her back against the plush objects. Her neck was sore, as if she'd slept on it wrong the entire night; she could turn it from side to side, but anything further felt like she'd strained a muscle.

Eventually, Emma gave up and tended to Henry, who was already mucking about the house. Hell, the entire town was awake. It was already half past noon. Granny's had been opened since eight, Snow and Charming had finished setting up their baby's crib and mobile, and Hook had been sober for almost 24 hours. It was a new day, and for many people, it would remain as normal as ever… until eight o'clock. Few residents knew of the looming clash that would take place later that night.

Once she'd stretched and yawned, wiped the sand from her eyes and washed her face, Regina finally saw the time on the clock that sat on her nightstand and flew out of her room; still in her silk nightclothes, she darted down the winding staircase with a mouthful of chastisements for the blonde woman. "Emma Swan!" she roared, the vein in her forehead bulged out until it was its own entity. She found the Savior and her son in the kitchen together; Emma was getting coffee ready and the Henry was sitting at the table with his travel-size video game. "Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!" the Queen demanded.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was your alarm clock," Emma said bleakly.

"I've missed out on valuable time!" Regina wailed. "Do you want me to win this or not?!"

"Hey, why is this my fault?" the sheriff countered defensively. "Jesus, it's not like I cut the wire to your timer. 'Sides, I was just at your door, wasn't I?"

"Three hours too late," the mayor huffed, her shoulder-length hair covering her eyes.

"My God, is this what you're like before coffee?" Emma searched for two even-sized mugs and poured a jet-black liquid into both. If Henry didn't know better, he'd say it was tar, not coffee. Dumping two spoonfuls of milk and two spoonfuls of sugar in each, Emma carried one and offered it to the hysterical brunette. Regina, fairly insulted at the woman's dismissal, pouted and refused to accept the cup at first. "Seriously? And you thought _I_ was immature?"

"I never said—" Lowering her voice, Regina exhaled loudly. "I never you were immature," she mumbled.

"No, but I could tell. Now take this, drink it, and chill out," Emma instructed. "Please."

Reluctantly, Regina grabbed the clay mug and sat in her usual spot. After a few sips, and once the caffeine began to kick in, she peered apologetically at Henry. "Strike two for Regina, I suppose."

"Nah, I'd say that was a ball," Henry chided as he turned off his device.

"So, you wanna tell us why you look like you've seen your mother's ghost?" Emma asked as she pulled out a chair next to Henry. It was a long shot to get Regina to open up in front of the both of them, but Emma figured she'd at least try. She knew from the moment she heard whimpering in Regina's room, something wasn't right. And, judging by how many times she had to bang on the door before she got a response, Emma came to the conclusion it had to have been a bad dream or something. Totally out of it, Regina's focus was glued to the rising steam of the hot beverage. She wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention. Emma sent a high-pitched whistle in Regina's direction and waved in front of her. "Hey, you there?"

Gradually emerging from her disorientated mindset, Regina shifted in her seat. "It's nothing, I'm fine," she said, tight-lipped. At Henry and Emma's unconvinced glances, she repeated herself with more oomf. "I'm fine."

"Right," said Emma. "Since you're 'fine' and all, maybe we should get things figured out. I talked to David and he and Hook are gonna warn the rest of the town to stay inside tonight. Hopefully, the Witch doesn't really care if a ton of people are watching." At the mention of Zelena's, Regina turned whiter than fresh-fallen snow. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"Continue," Madame Mayor commanded drearily.

"Um, ok… So, David's gonna see if some of these Merry Men guys can help make sure everyone's safe. Hook, if he hasn't already burned all his bridges here, is going to see who's willing to board people, you know, if they don't get home in time."

"That's who he is!" Henry exclaimed. "Killian is Captain Hook! That explains his, uh, hand thing… Oh, sorry," he added when he realized he'd said it out loud.

Emma ruffled his brown hair maternally and went on as if there hadn't been an interruption. "We'll all be in Gold's shop. It's got the best view of the street, so we'll know the moment anything goes wrong. I guess that's it. Anything we missed or you can think of?"

Regina let everyone settle into her consciousness and drummed her fingers on the table top. "Well, I do believe you've covered everything. There is one request I have to make, though." With the image of both Henry and Emma's caring eyes engrained in her memory, Regina set her drink down and folded her hands together. "Until tonight… I- I would like to ask that I have some time alone. You two are free to stay here, if you wish, but I need to be by myself for a while. I trust you won't tell anyone where I am?" she asked Emma specifically.

"Did we do something to upset you?" Henry questioned shyly.

"No! Of course not!" Regina assured. Wishing she could hold his hand, she tightened her grip on her own. "Neither of you did anything, I promise. This, Henry, is much bigger than us— than all of us. I'm sorry that you came back to this mess. It's not how I would've wanted it to happen, but I'm glad you're here." Sliding out of her chair and onto the floor, Regina knelt before her son. "Henry, can you promise me something? Promise me that you will be smart tonight. If I had it my way, you wouldn't be within 100 miles of Zelena, but I know that you'll be safe with Emma and your grandparents. Even if you don't remember me or how much I love you, please… please promise me that you will listen to them." Although he was slightly taken aback by such a serious appeal, Henry nodded obediently. He helped his mother to her feet and watched as she walked over to Emma. He suddenly felt like he should be anywhere but there, invading their space.

"You do what you need to do," Emma said, not wanting to believe that Regina was saying her preventative goodbyes right now. "We'll see you at eight."

* * *

It was a glorious day for Zelena. The storm clouds had disappeared from sight, the sun was shining brightly over the land, and she would finally get her revenge. Every wrong she'd endured, every cruel word she'd received, and every minute of training she'd gone through had all lead up to this: Regina was going to know what it felt like to be robbed of the life she could have had. And there was nothing anyone could do to stop her.

Because she wanted to hear her thoughts, and her thoughts only, Zelena had tied a handkerchief over Rumplestiltskin's mouth. The frail man was slumped forward in his chains; dark blotches of blood oozed through his ripped shirt from where the rusted metal cut into his flesh. His long, scraggly hair had dirt encrusted in various spots and several strands were knotted together in impossible clumps. His cheeks were sunken in from the little sustenance he'd gotten during his time with Zelena; while she fed him twice a day, it was only left-overs from what she found at Granny's. Gold wasn't worth the effort to make a fresh meal.

Mentally counting down the hours to the very second, Zelena spent her morning picking out the right outfit. Her wardrobe from the Enchanted Forest was nowhere to be seen, but the black garbs she'd come across were quite all right. This world's fine cotton and slim-fitting cloaks were similar to what she'd had back home, but a tad nicer. It was an added bonus that none of these articles of clothing had any remnants of her old life— the one she had been condemned to. Standing on three-inch, glossy black heels, with black stockings, Zelena never felt more at ease. For most of the people in town, the color was a bad omen. However, for Zelena, it was her lucky tone.

After filing her nails and adding another coat of Kelly green to them, Zelena decided it was time to groom her mentor. She shimmied the cloth out of his mouth and let him snarl all he wanted. "This won't do," she said as she made a sickening "tsk" sound with her tongue. She used the dagger to lift Gold's chin and turned it from side to side. "No, what you need is more than a shave, Dark One. How about…" Zelena snapped her fingers and in a cloud of green vapor, Gold went from wearing rags and an overgrown five o'clock shadow, to a sleek, black suit with a gold-colored tie. His scruff was gone and all that remained was smooth skin; the tangles in his hair had been combed out and his graying mane had never looked so clean. As she played with his knife, the Witch grinned, pleased with his new image. "Now _that_ is what I call a wizard."

Keeping his gaze on the frosted wood chips, Gold clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists. "You'll lose, Zelena— more than you realize."

The woman moved so fast, Gold was sure he was already dead. Zelena pressed the edge of the dagger into his throat until a drop of blood trickled down his neck and landed on one of his lapels. "You really don't get it, do you? Regina is _nothing_. Her power had to be learned, but mine? Mine manifested on its own. I was _born_ with it. That should tell you something, shouldn't it?"

Keeping his heart rate at an even pace and using the utmost self-control, Gold simply smirked at the overly-confident Witch. "If you think that's why you two are different, you'll never see your similarities."

"We are NOTHING alike!" Zelena growled, slicing more of his epidermis. Her eyes were ablaze with rage and her fangs were bared as if she were a rabid animal. Sensing how close she was to letting loose and actually killing her best weapon, Zelena yanked the dagger away from his face and wiped it with her cape, her green gloves impervious to the red fluids. "The only reason you're still alive is because your talents will soon be needed. Whether or not you can live with yourself afterwards is your own problem."

For a reason only Gold knew, he let out his Rumpliest cackle. "If you need my help, dearie, then you've already lost."

* * *

Regina could have very well teleported to the crypt, but she'd much rather go on foot. Hiking through the bushes and trees, she was reminded of the livelihood around her. The world hadn't stopped just because her demented sister was plotting her death. No, Regina soaked up the sunlight like a blossoming flower, savored the sounds of nature, and was in no rush to reenter the concrete building. If she was going to spend her day in an empty cage, Regina wanted to appreciate the last bit of serenity around here.

As if it had never been touched, the ancient chest of magical supplies rested at the other end of the vault. Even if Regina hadn't known that it belonged to her mother, she could tell that it was old by the lock and wood. Bronze and deteriorating, the latch had seen better days. There was no actual key to open heavy encasement, not one that could be held. Regina had sealed this trunk with the same kind of magic she'd used to trap the flying monkeys: True Love. Only _she_ could undo what had been done.

With a balletic wave of her wrist, the lid swung open and revealed the sacred objects it was tasked with protecting. Of the few items that had been transported to this world after her curse, Regina had really only valued two of the pieces. One of them had originally been hidden in Gold's shop, but once she recovered it and assumed the ownership, the Queen was rather possessive of the book of spells— _The _book of spells.

Small enough to fit in any library without being detected, the grimoire just barely fit in the palm of Regina's hand. The frayed and tinted pages were full of incantations and charms, potions and hexes all written in many different languages. As a young pupil, it and taken Regina quite some time to learn how to translate the information, but once she did, the power began to take over.

Regina wasn't looking for anything in particular. She just wanted to know that the book was there and that no one else had access to it, that she didn't want to have. The brunette thumbed through the items she had strong recollections of: the preservation spell, memory-erasing, controlling inanimate objects, etc. Drawings created by God knows who practically floated off of the pages and danced in front of Regina, a tease of the life she used to lead. She had no current intention of using such dark magic, but it was severely tempting.

Before she succumbed to the coaxing, Regina slammed the book shut and the pictures dissolved. She gingerly put it back into its allotted location and rummaged through the rest of the artifacts. She searched through crystals and ingredients for potions until she found exactly what she was looking for: her second most prized possession. As if she were handling the Constitution of the United States, or in her own case, a treaty with the giants, Regina unearthed Daniel's navy shawl. The last time she'd laid eyes on the material, Daniel was wearing it; he was wearing it when he died.

Draping the blanket-like cover over her back, Regina tied the roped-strings into a bow and twirled around in it like a child trying on a new dress. All he'd ever wanted was for her to believe in herself, to be good. Daniel had known that Regina was nothing like Cora. There was never a doubt in his mind that the future queen would someday be the type of leader lands would wish to have. If she only trusted herself and her ability to be brave.

His voice rang clear as day in Regina's mind. _"Love again." _She would never be able to forgive herself for releasing Daniel, even if he had been in pain. He was the reason she got into magic in the first place; she wanted to keep their love alive. Losing Daniel was like losing her own self, and eventually, Regina had truly lost all sight of the person she'd been. She could blame it on Snow or Cora, but deep down, she knew she only had to blame herself.

Regina had learned a lot since Daniel's death. She didn't just learn about magic, but she had been exposed to a different kind of power, the kind that very few people would ever be able to feel; Regina learned about family. For so long, she thought she'd spend the rest of her life alone. When Henry virtually disowned her, even though it was temporary, Regina believed that her price for casting the curse was being by herself. But then, she saw the way Mary Margaret and David welcomed their daughter with open arms. She noticed how easily Emma and Henry had become a unit, with or without fake memories. And, to top it all off, Regina experienced what True Love could really do.

Now, though… now it was all different. Regina had spent a lifetime holding a grudge against people who were no longer her enemies, but her friends. She finally had people in her corner, people who cared about her and believed in her the way Daniel had. As soon as she got her son back, and as soon as she found Emma again, Zelena had to come and ruin it all— and yes, Regina was being realistic and believing Zelena had the ability to win. One of them would have to die, the brunette unwillingly concluded. As powerful and as strong as Regina was, there always was that chance that Zelena was even stronger and more powerful. In the end, only one of them would come out of the fight. And, as Regina said goodbye to Daniel for the last time, she was hit with a renewed sense of determinism.

Tucking away the cape with heavy regard, the Queen made an oath to herself. She was _going_ to defeat Zelena, one way or another. And when she did, Regina was _going_ to find her happy ending; she was going to love again.

* * *

It was just Emma and Henry in the gigantic house. Although Regina was absent, Emma enforced the rules she was positive their host would have: no eating anywhere but in the dining room, use napkins, and put cups on a a coaster. In an effort to ease the tension, the blonde whipped up a batch of cookies for lunch and made Henry swear not to tell the brunette of their sugar-filled meal. Dunking their desserts into tall glasses of milk, the mother and son— for once— had very little to say. On the inside, Henry was bursting with questions and ramblings, of course. What 12 year-old in this situation wouldn't? But, as he matured into a young man, he was starting to appreciate what silence had to offer.

While Henry had only expressed a couple of observations, Emma read his body language and could tell he was fretting. He only ate three cookies, and they were the size of quarters; meanwhile, Emma had scarfed down six. Hardly half of his milk had been ingested and a white mustache was drawn over his upper lip. Normally, he was much more self-conscious about that sort of thing, but today, he never even noticed. "Penny for your thoughts?" Emma asked gently.

Tearing his paper napkin into smaller shreds, Henry stopped fidgeting and corrected his slouch. "Mom? What… what happens if I don't remember? Like, is that a bad thing?" As if he were ashamed for even asking, he looked away and rolled his napkin into a ball.

Contemplating how to respond, Emma tapped into her diplomatic side and tried to mesh it with her motherly side. "If you don't remember, then we'll just start from the beginning. I'm not gonna lie, it's not exactly a happy possibility. But, Kid, no one will be mad at you if you can't remember. It's not your fault."

"What if… what if I don't want my old memories back?" Henry posed timidly.

Cocking her head to one side, Emma leaned over the table. "Why wouldn't you?"

"I dunno… I just… I mean, I don't really wanna remember the bad stuff 'cause it seems like there was a lot of it," the teenager vocalized.

Coming around to what Henry was saying, Emma struggled with what to tell him. Her son was sitting just feet away from her and she had no idea what to say; she was speechless. She wasn't angry or disappointed in him. In fact, she saw the validity in his worries and only wished she could have been as pensive as Henry was when she had been his age. In the, almost, three years that she'd known the boy, Emma couldn't pick out her favorite memory of him. He had taught her so much about being a good parent and about being a good person. He'd been so quick to accept this new reality, that she almost forgot he wasn't apart of it; it was ironic, too.

"Have you ever heard that saying, 'Without pain we wouldn't know joy, without hate we wouldn't know love, and without sadness we wouldn't know happiness?'" Emma asked. "I think that's true. I get why you wouldn't want all the freaky memories, hell, I wouldn't want them. But, now that I do, I'm kinda glad. I wasn't at first, but now I am."

"But that's different, Mom. You're like, the hero of this place. I'm just… I dunno, a kid."

"No way! Henry, look, I know you feel like you're out of place, but that's only because you can't remember. You've got the heart of the truest believer; that means you're a hero, too. You were willing to… do whatever you had to do to save magic. No one else could have done that." What started out as an innocent question had become a full-fledged discussion. Emma was rather satisfied with her improvised reasoning.

Like a child who had just been given a lecture, Henry didn't respond immediately. He didn't know how to. What Emma had said was making sense, but he still wasn't sure what he wanted to do. In just a matter of days, his entire world had been turned upside down. He was content in New York; he loved the apartment and the sounds of the city. It's where he'd grown up— or, where he thought he'd grown up. And then, without much preparation, he's in a town he'd never heard of around strangers who were supposedly his family. The stores were weird, people kept staring at him, and he hadn't been allowed to talk to anyone at first. However, there was still something about this place; there was a familiarity to it all. In a strange way, it felt more like home than New York did.

After allowing his mother's words of wisdom set in, Henry resigned to her logic, shook it off, and changed the topic. "Mom? Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Emma said before taking a swig of her drink.

"Does Madam— does Regina know that you love her?" Too comical to be real life, Emma choked on her milk, spilled it all over her shirt and jeans, and her face was the color of a ruby-red apple.


	10. Wicked Vs Evil

It was 7:15 sharp when Emma met with David and Hook at the Charmings' loft. The sky had transformed into a gloomy gray— a sign of events to come— crickets came out of hiding and chirped in the bushes, and the moon was prying itself out of the clouds' clutches. Having changed into a non-milk-stained shirt and jeans, Emma double-checked her pockets and confirmed that the potions were still in her possession before leaving the mayor's house; there was no room for mistakes at this point. One wrong move or miscalculation, and there was no telling who could get hurt.

Before they'd gotten to her parents,' Emma had sworn Henry to absolute secrecy that he wouldn't say anything about her and Regina to anyone, no matter what. Being the understanding son that he was, he pinky promise hesitation. He felt bad that Emma thought he would just spread it like gossip. That was the last thing he'd planned to do.

Once the group was in complete concurrence with their tactical plan, it was time to start rounding up the troops. They all escorted Mary Margaret and Henry to Gold's Pawn Shop, where Red, Belle, and the dwarves were awaiting their arrival. Since Zelena's threat, everyone had been on high alert and there was always someone by Mary Margaret's side. The people in the store had been the first citizens to know about approaching danger, and though it was a tightly packed space, the characters went about their tasks like subservient soldiers. They might as well have worn camouflage uniforms and saluted to David and Emma. Hook, not so much.

"Granny's at the Diner," Red relayed. Her strikingly scarlet lips matched the streak in her brown mane, but that didn't take away from her long legs. "Archie and Marco are there too."

"Ok. We're going to do some border patrol and make sure anyone who's not already indoors, will be," Emma said hastily as she mentally flipped through the other details. Already braking out into a cold sweat, the Savior fought to keep it together. People were counting on her.

Snow caressed her enlarged bump compulsively, as if that alone would keep her baby out of the clutches of evil. If she hadn't been pregnant, she'd be out with her husband and daughter, slinging arrows at predators. But, the fact of the matter was that Snow _was_ expecting, which meant no fighting whatsoever. The Princess swallowed her own disappointment and put on a brave face. "Be careful out there. Even if there aren't any flying monkeys around, you could still get hurt."

"Don't worry. We'll be all right," Emma assured with, what she assumed was, a convincing smile. No one believed her for thousand dollars. "You just make sure Henry and my little brother or sister are safe." While David and Snow shared a kiss, Emma addressed her son; his big, green orbs pleaded for some sort of alleviation of his panic. He worked to push the bad thoughts away, to separate himself from them, but they kept crawling back. "Hey, it'll be ok, Kid. No one's gonna touch you. I won't let them." Pulling the boy into her arms, Henry pressed his face into her shoulder and listened to her heartbeat. "Remember the promise you made to Regina?" she asked when she released him. "You gotta keep up your end, ok? Just until I'm back."

"I know," Henry said clearly. He sounded so grown up, so adult-like, it was incredible. Had she not known him, Emma would have taken him for a college student.

"Good." With that, she, David, and Hook, who hadn't anyone to say goodbye to, stepped out into the cold winter's night. The glacial current stung hit them like bee stings and whipped against their naked skin. It wasn't long before their fingers and toes were frozen.

While the men started to walk away, Emma held back briefly and knelt to the ground. Holding the stick of chalk she'd summoned on her own, she drew several lines in front of the door like Gold had instructed her, all the while trudging through the icy blasts that assaulted her. This way, she knew for sure that her family would be all right until she returned.

* * *

After spending her entire afternoon in the mausoleum, Regina materialized onto the grass in the middle of the cemetery. Mossy gravestones and hulking monuments were her only company as she exited the morose structure. Inhaling deeply, her lungs expanded as far as they could go, and fresh air flushed through them, filling them as if they were balloons. Regina wasn't surprised to see stars already shimmering above her, twinkling away. The birds that had occupied the trees just hours before had all flown to their own homes for the night and the only sound Regina heard was her own breathing, even and calm.

Sashaying through the courtyard, a new surge of adrenaline circulated through her veins and traveled from head to tow. Regina had utilized her time by stretching her magic and taking a few minutes to meditate; well, not meditate so much as visualize how she was going to get rid of Zelena. Nevertheless, it soothed the doubt that had sprouted within. By the time evening had set, Regina had never felt more composed. With every that step she took through the knee-high, chilled grass, the Evil Queen's morale boosted even more; like mercury in a thermometer, she was reaching her full capacity. It'd been a long, long time since Regina had felt this charged, she was beginning to think she could take on an entire legion of ogres.

At the other end of the forest, Zelena was on her own trek with Rumplestiltskin in tow. No longer bound by any sort of leash, Gold was untied, though not free by any means. As long as the Wicked Witch had his dagger, he would never be free. The more he contemplated the notion of freedom, he wasn't sure he'd ever want to be free again after tonight. Whatever Zelena had up her sleeves, whatever she needed him for, he was sick just thinking about it.

Twigs snapped in half and pebbles were kicked to the side as Zelena strolled down the gravel trail. The wind sounded like a howling werewolf, though that didn't faze the woman at all. She treated it more like encouragement, as though the earth were cheering her on, supporting her in her efforts to achieve her ultimate goal. The hem of her skirt touched the ground, but she never let it drag. This was too important of an evening to allow her dress to get damaged, and people were going to watch, she wanted to look her best. She couldn't wait to see the look on everyone's faces when she defeated the woman who'd stolen her life. Zelena's birthright would finally be claimed in front of the town— a town that would soon belong to her. All she had to do was win.

* * *

At 7:53, Emma and Hook were just driving back into town. Instead of the pirate going about his assigned task, David went around each establishment and used his charm to persuade the owners, for she was sure that Hook would only get doors slammed in his face. As a result, Emma and the man in leather sojourned out into the woods and gathered as many Merry Men that would fit in the bed of David's truck. Robin Hood and his son were among the few, though he and Emma had nothing to say to one another.

It had gotten exceedingly darker in the 35 minutes that they'd been away. The gloomy gray sky was now a vibrant purple and the stars had never looked more entrancing. The half moon had completely rid itself of any fluffy curtains and was given a front row seat to festivities. There were no critters to be found, as they had all fled to their own dwellings. Even the most meager of insects had the good sense to avoid this part of town.

Parking the milk chocolate-toned truck a block away, Emma and the rest of the guys filed onto the sidewalks. She wasted no time in giving orders as they meandered down the pathway. "Granny's, Gold's, and the library are the only ones open for shelter. We need at least two of you to guard each one, and since there are seven of you, one of those places is gonna have a third. You," she said to Regina's apparent fiancee and his kid, "you can put him in with the folks at Gold's."

Draping a protective arm around his young child, Robin interjected. "Do pardon my forwardness, m'lady, but I insist that we can all do much more outdoors than in. Each of us has experience in combat."

"No," Emma shook her head indignantly. "My job's to keep everyone away off the street. You can either do what we asked, or you can go back to the forest, but I'm hoping you won't." It'd been a while since she had to use her bail bonds person tone, the one that basically screamed, "I'M IN CHARGE SHUT THE HELL UP." If she had to do it again, though, she would. Emma got a little pleasure from saying it to Robin, the eerily content, woodsy man. "Anyone else got a problem?" She scanned the small group of warriors, all of whom were clever enough to remain silent, and checked the time on her phone: it was 7:58. "Ok, go find somewhere to keep watch. And. Stay. Inside."

The Merry Men dispersed to their different stations, all with some sort of weapon; either a bow and arrow or a sword. "Well done, Swan," Hook commended with a wink. "I must say, your father was right: you are one hell of a leader."

Emma was going to criticize the man for his joking nature at such a bleak time when she saw a figure coming towards them in the distance. At first glance, she took it to be Zelena; with the flowing coat and heels slapping against the road. But, as the woman got closer, Emma realized it was Regina. "Get to Gold's," she advised her ally tersely. Without giving Hook the opportunity to protest, she jogged up to the mayor. Something was different about the brunette, Emma could sense it. It was the way Regina carried herself, as if she was no longer distressed. She walked with her arms at her sides, as opposed to their usual spot in her pockets. Her vivid, strawberry-colored gloves almost gave Emma vertigo. "Are you ok?" the blonde asked.

This time, Regina answered truthfully. "I'm fine."

Using her super power, Emma was unable to detect a lie. Sweeping the space around them, she gave Regina the bag and when their hands touched, neither of them were in a rush to pull away. "Everyone's safe. We'll be right here," Emma pointed to the window across the street. When Regina saw Henry, her nerves were reactivated, though not as strongly as before. "Regina," Emma whispered, though no one was around to eavesdrop. "I—"

"Go," the Queen dictated firmly.

"What?"

"Go! Now! Stay inside!" Regina hissed through gritted teeth. Emma wanted to ask more, but then followed Regina's vacant glower. Two shadows were approaching Main Street; that was all Emma needed to know. Like a jaguar retreating into the jungle, she bounded over the curb, coasted through the protection charm, and tumbled through the open door where her family lifted her up. Soon, everyone had their noses plastered against the glass in anticipation.

The sharper the image of Zelena became, the tighter Regina fastened her jaw. There was no way in hell that she was going to let the Witch trigger her emotions; Regina was going to do everything she could to keep a placid front. From behind Zelena, the Queen spotted Gold straggling along; he looked just as he always had in Storybrooke: clean-shaven, dapperly dressed, and wearing a sharp frown. It was evident in his scowl that he wanted to be there as much as he wanted to be in Neverland.

When there was just a meter's distance between the two robust ladies, Zelena came to a halt and her skirt matched suit. Her slightly crooked, pearly whites glinted under the moonlight and became Regina's focal point. If she was upset at the lack of a peanut gallery, she didn't show it. "Well, little sister, here were are; together again. Too bad mother dearest isn't able to rejoice in the family reunion," Zelena sulked mockingly.

"That's right, you never got to meet her, did you?" Regina retorted evenly. The glass vials were burning a hole through her pocket, and she had to use all the restraint she had not to use them just yet.

A flash of fury flickered in Zelena's eyes, but it was gone as soon as it appeared. She gestured to Gold as if he were some prize in a game show and made him spin around. "What do you think of this? Doesn't he look dashing? You'd never have guessed that his son died just two days ago." Gold bit down on his tongue until he tasted salt; it was the exact reaction Zelena wanted to provoke— she was just getting revved up.

"What are they saying?" Emma elbowed Red, the only one who could possible hear through three-inch thick barrier.

Concentrating with all of her might, Red said, "They're just insulting each other. Is that was siblings do?"

Back outside, Regina studied Zelena's facial features and her body language. She wasn't an expert, but was positive that there had to be some sort of sign that Zelena had her own reservations. Much to her own dismay, Regina didn't catch any. Her sister stood as tall and and as noble as she'd ever seen. "Well, you wanted me and now you've got me." Closing the gap until there was just a foot of space left, Regina annunciated her words deliberately. "Do your worst."

"Is that what you think this is?" Zelena chortled in a bout of mania. "Did you honestly believe it would be that simple?" She shot a gloved hand out in Regina's direction and an invisible helper clamped down on the brunette's throat. "No, no, dearie; I want a real fight." As her sister flailed helplessly, Zelena sent Regina soaring down the street and onto the roof of a minivan. The headlights were activated and the horn blared incessantly at the sudden impact. Metal that only dented when involved in an accident with another car lined Regina's form like chalk at a crime scene.

Suppressing the impulse to rush outside, Emma counted how long it took for Regina to get up. The blonde's blood boiled as she watched Zelena marched towards the damaged vehicle; she was already enjoying the night, and it had just begun. Regina had just scrambled to her feet and sent a titanium mailbox skyrocketing in Zelena's direction, but her sister deflected it. Zelena heaved her into the air again, squeezing even tighter than before.

"Do you have an _any_ idea what I went through?! Do you know what our mother did to me?!" Flinging Regina into Granny's Bed and Breakfast, Zelena was already strutting through the remnants of her destruction. Although the two had interacted in the Forest, it'd been a brief meeting. Regina left with only a sense of what fueled Zelena so; she hadn't actually been told of why the woman was directing her pent up insecurities at her. "The years I spent living in squaller when I could have been in a castle!" Zelena yelled as she barreled towards her crumpled sister; aged screws and splinters of wood covered Regina from her collision with the door. There was a line of blood running down her left temple, but that was nothing to the Witch. Zelena went after the Queen again, this time, using both hands; her eyes were glossed over and pupils were the size of nickels. She willed her grip to compress around Regina's throat and reveled in the woman's strife. "I wore rags and you wore ball gowns! I was cast away as a freak and you were bloody worshipped!" Zelena rambled on as she launched the woman into the ice cream shop's window.

Broken pieces of glass crunched under Regina's shoes as she forced her body to support itself. Every bone and every muscle begged her to sit down and rest, but her mind wouldn't let her. Regina Mills's will could not be bent, not even by a little bit of magic. Fixing her gloves and wiping the thick, sticky substance from above her eye, she leapt over the empty windowsill and adjusted the straps on her coat. "Is that all you've got?" she jeered as she valiantly limped back into the arena.

Emma was just about to hurl herself into the ring when Regina reentered the frame. The mayor was all but hobbling on one leg, but the sheriff could tell that she wasn't ready to surrender. Emma was going to give it one more shot before she gave Zelena what for. When she glanced over at Henry, the teenager looked as if he'd stopped breathing. He was as still as a flag post and the color had drained from his face. "Come on, Regina," Emma muttered under her breath and crossed her fingers.

Mending her injury on her own, Regina redistributed her weight until she gained her balance. As she approached Zelena, she wore her signature "Prepare to die" grin, though that didn't distract her. "I ruled over the Enchanted Forest for years," Regina commented. "If you want to break me, you're going to have to try harder than that."

Somewhat infuriated that the woman was still standing, Zelena cracked her neck and knuckles, flared her nostrils, and employed every bit of magic she had inside of her; the invigorating power sent her on an unbreakable high. Her thin arms flexed as she tugged the unseen rope that was tied around Regina's trachea and raised the woman ten feet off the ground. No mercy and no pity was exhibited as the younger of the two thrashed wildly. "You stole _everything_ that belonged to me! You _never_ deserved any of it, you spoiled brat!" Zelena shrieked as Regina gagged for air helplessly; her entire form spasmed uncontrollably. It pained Gold to watch, it really did, but there was nothing he could do. "And now," the accented woman exhaled, "I'm going to steal everything from _you!_"

With that final venomous warning, Zelena propelled Regina straight into the clock tower. The frosted plating shattered and millions of shards splashed out from the opening. Regina's fall had been broken by the metal-bridge just behind the cover, though it still hurt nonetheless. She felt as if she'd just been trampled on by a pack of wild buffalo. To be honest, she wasn't even sure if she was still alive.

A long, pointed fragment was sticking out of her calf and that's how Regina knew she was, in fact, still living. The stoic woman removed it without hesitation, winced slightly, and pulled herself up. From all the way up in the tower, she got a bird's eye view of everything below. She could see Zelena's devilish smile and Gold's miserable snarl. She could even see the roof of her house from this angle. However, the one thing Regina hadn't been prepared to see was Emma darting into the street and charging at Zelena.

"Hey!" the blonde huffed in a boxing stance, as if that's how she could beat the Witch.

"What have we here?" Zelena inquired, freezing the Savior in her spot and tying her hands behind her back. She reached for the Dark One's dagger and commanded Gold to restrain Emma; which he did everything in his will to thwart. Zelena released her newest prisoner from the spell as soon as Rumplestiltskin had her. "Emma Swan," she gleamed. "And what is this?" Zelena plucked the third and missing bottle from Emma's front pocket.

From the clock tower, Regina hastily searched for the pouch and opened it; there were only two containers in there. The stubborn blonde had swiped the other one. "Dammit Emma!"

Shaking the potion in the vial, Zelena examined it critically. "I know what this is. I see my sister has been teaching you the ways of magic. Well, if I know her, and I think I do, she must have come prepared." She spun on her heels and summoned Regina back to the ground, chortling at the brunette's sprained ankle from landing so hard. Zelena kept her back towards Emma as she pat down Regina for the other potions. Regina tried to fight back, but her efforts were nothing short of failure. When she located the sack, the Witch let it drop onto ground and basked in the harmony of broken glass. "Oops," she feigned an apology.

Regina was expeditiously losing fuel. With every structure that she crashed into, she was getting weaker and weaker. Her powers were dwindling and she was in desperate need of a recharge. She was starting to see double, no matter how hard she tried to focus. She was only truly cognizant of one thing: Emma needed her help. Regina lifted a heavy hand and concentrated on the traffic light, but nothing happened. She wasn't strong enough.

Emma squirmed in Gold's grip and focused on Zelena's dress. Implementing the directions Regina had given her, she thought of what she wanted to happen and applied it as best she could. Within seconds, a small flame ignited at the base of Zelena's skirt. Emma's celebration was short-lived, though, as it only aggravated the Witch even more. The fire that the Savior had created was extinguished swiftly, and Zelena pounced on Emma; she yanked a fistful of golden curls and relished in the woman's mewling. "That wasn't very nice."

"Being nice isn't my strong suit," Emma shot back boldly.

Still pulling the prisoner's hair back, Zelena put Gold's dagger in her shawl, and shook the potion in front of Emma. The solvent sloshed around several times before Zelena uncorked the top. "Tell me, oh great Savior, what do you suppose would happen if I were to drink this?" She acted as though she were about to consumed the elixir, tipping the bottle above her mouth. When Emma didn't answer the question, Zelena pinched the captor's cheeks together. "Better yet, what do you suppose would happen… if _you _were to drink this potion?" If she had expected a reply, no one would have guessed, for without letting even a second tick by, Zelena placed the vial in Rumplestiltskin's hand and forced him to pour it down Emma's throat, while she watched on in delight. The blonde sputtered and choked, everything that would prevent the potion from reaching her insides. But it was too late. Gold overpowered her.

"NOOOO!" Regina yelped, her entire body slumping forward. As if it were happening in slow motion, Emma's knees went limp and her eyes roll back as she plummeted to the ground. Down she fell until all of her was flattened against the cement. She laid sprawled out as if she were asleep in her own bed. From Gold's shop, Red and Belle were doing everything they could to stop the family from racing outside, for the war was still raging on. Henry, though, was inconsolable. It took what dwarves were left to hold him back as he pounded his fists against the window.

Regina gathered every bit of power that was left and clawed her way to the Savior. Just like in her dream, one of them had fallen. The only difference was, Emma wasn't cradling her; Regina was cradling Emma. She kept expecting everyone to pour into the road, just like she'd imagined. She waited for the rain that never fell and for the gasps of shock that never came. In this reality, it was just the four of them.

"Is that… torment you're exhibiting? For a woman who was born to be your enemy?" Zelena hovered over the women like a demon taunting its pray. "Oh, Regina, how… pathetic." She planted herself by Gold and teased him with his own knife.

Extremely close to cracking, Regina swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Emma's body heat was still active, though she was getting colder by the second. Removing her own outer layer, she folded her coat and placed it under Emma's head like a pillow, ready for one more round. As gracefully as she could, the Queen stood up yet again, fully prepared to kill Zelena. "You haven't won yet! I'm still standing!"

"For now," Zelena agreed. "Don't you see? You've gone soft, Regina. I thought Cora taught you better than that." Ready for the final knockout, she clutched Gold's blade at her side and moved at a turtle's speed, only to prolong the suspense. Everything had lead up to this, right here. The years of waiting, the decades of torture, and the lives tossed away had all been instrumental in making Zelena's dream become a reality. It almost didn't seem like it was happening at all; it was too good to be true. She had Regina right where she wanted her.

"Who says she didn't?" Regina rebutted gallantly. She had a spurt-of-the-moment idea, one that she was willing to risk everything for just to see it succeed. "After all, _I _was the one she raised."

Her legs were just about to give out from under her when Zelena ceased her sluggish strides. If she was going to kill Zelena, Regina would rather have done it without a crowd, though she was aware of the spectators in the shop across from her. "Cora may have raised you, but _I_ will always be better a better Witch," Zelena uttered with resentment, mere centimeters away from her sister. "I have the advantage here. Unlike you, I don't have a family. I don't have anyone to love. As a result," Zelena thrust her hand into Regina's chest and clutched the woman's heart, "I am not weak."

Regina's hunched forward as Zelena grabbed the most vital organ in her body. She could feel everything; every little twinge in Zelena's pinky, every pulsation in her thumb. Regina had so often been the one to steal another person's heart, it was rare to ever be on this end of things. Although she'd always been successful in taking what she wanted, Zelena, however, was not so lucky. The Witch jerked on Regina's life source but was met with failure: the heart wouldn't budge. Confident that her plan had worked, the Queen smirked at Zelena. "That's where Cora was wrong, _sister_. Love isn't weakness; it's strength."

Like an unexpected storm, a bright, yellow force expelled from Regina's core, tossed Zelena into the air and she landed flat on her bum. The Dark One's dagger clattered to the ground and Gold snatched it before anyone else could. He no longer felt dirty or maimed; he was back in control of his own actions. He and Regina exchanged a quick nod before he lunged at Zelena, who hadn't hardly any time to defend herself.

"Emma!" Limping back to the Savior's bedside, the Queen stumbled over her own heels and kicked them off into the road. What she had to do was abundantly clear to Regina, but she still hesitated before fixing the mess she should have seen coming. "I told you to stay inside, dammit," she muttered as she stroked the blonde's forehead. Emma was neither blanched or blue; her nose and cheeks were pink and her heart beat vigorously, safely in her chest. No longer aware of her surroundings, only of what she felt, Regina's spirit guided her through the motions. Sinking down until she was next to Emma's ear, the brunette closed her eyes and said, "I love you." With the gentle touch that could only be an attribute of a good person, Regina placed her lips on top of Emma's, and this time, she wanted it to last.

A second, equally potent force radiated from their kiss and swept over the entire town. An explosion of oxygen reactivated Emma's system as she gasped for air and jerked forward. Blinking in rapid secession and meeting Regina's relieved eyes, the blonde smiled up at her healer. "I love you too."

"Moms!" As soon as Henry saw that Emma was all right, he wriggled out of Leroy and Happy's hold, broke down the front door, and dashed outside to his mothers. He slammed into both women and threw his arms around them like he'd done when Pan had left his body; he took in the homey scent of apple cider and the brush of Emma's hair against his neck. Regina knew that sparkle in his emerald spheres; it'd been there everyday since the moment she first held him. As soon as she'd kissed Emma, an influx of video clips played out in Henry's consciousness and returned to their previous compartments, where they would stay for the remainder of his life. Henry had gotten his memories back.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt?" Regina questioned hastily, cupping his cheeks and searching his slender form. Her own pain was nothing in comparison to Henry's safety.

"I'm ok… Mom," Henry breathed, just glad to see his mother again for who she really was. "I missed you." Regina's bottom lip quivered as hugged him again, wanting to freeze this moment in time.

One by one, anyone who had sought a place to hide came filing out of their shelters and into the street. It wasn't long before Emma and Regina were surrounded by puzzled townspeople, all of whom were buzzing with questions. There was no right way to answer them, and frankly, neither of the women had the energy to even attempt to.

When David and Mary Margaret flocked to their daughter, and David asked, "What happened?," all Emma could do was look from Regina and their son, to the rest of the crowd and say, "It's a long story."

* * *

**A/N** - So, I've obviously been on a writing binge the last few days, which is either a really good thing or a really bad thing. Based off of your impending reviews, I'll find out, haha! Anyway, I've just been working on finishing this story (the last chapter will be uploaded tomorrow), and then I'll probably take a week or two off. It's getting down to crunch time with scholarship applications and a project I still haven't started (best procrastinator in the world). However, that doesn't mean I won't be writing- just not publishing right away. Big side note, I know. I hope you enjoyed that update and I hope you like how this ends! Stay tuned, folks!


	11. Their Happy Ending

Now that Zelena was gone for good, and everyone who'd been turned into a monkey had been restored to their normal selves, Emma finally had the opportunity to put together a meaningful farewell for her first love. By no means had the town calmed down since the Witch's downfall. If anything, it was even more hectic for the sheriff and mayor. They couldn't go out in public without being hounded by curious, and rather nosy, citizens. Everyone wanted to know what Zelena had done, why she'd been after Regina, what happened to Emma, and why— just why Regina had kissed her. Neither of their reputations had been kept intact. Yes, news escalated through the small town at an alarming rate. Any attempts by the Charmings, Hook, and the few other allies they had to maintain Emma and Regina's privacy were futile.

After Henry's memories were retrieved, Emma thought it best that Regina bring him home to the mansion where the two could catch up with each other. Aside from that agreement, the two ladies had said very little to each other about that night. In the meantime, Emma decided to stay at Granny's Inn— for real. There was no way she was going to crash at the mayor's home, and there was definitely not a chance that she would bunk with her parents, not when they asked the same stuff everyone else did. Just because they didn't follow her everywhere she went, didn't mean their own interest wasn't irritating. Emma had to find somewhere neutral, somewhere she could just… be. Granny's, and all of it's current repairs, was the only logical answer. She didn't want any visitors except for Henry, not even Hook, who was deeply worried about his friend. She just needed time to think, that was all.

With her son back, really and truly, Regina should have been ecstatic. Of course, she was utterly thrilled that he remembered her and their life together, but something about it all didn't feel right; it didn't feel complete. For two days, she and Henry shared every meal together and filled each other in on their last year. Regina told him about how the Forest had changed in some ways, but stayed the same in others. She said very little about Zelena, but spoke highly of the castle and the way it had endured decades without its owner. She never talked about a man named Robin Hood, the same man she'd been avoiding like the plague.

Henry let her know how school had been going and about the friends that he'd made. He expressed his adoration of New York, but confided that he preferred Storybrooke. He wanted to ask his mother about Emma, but knew better than to pry. Everything that he'd said and heard before regaining his memories was still there; his new ones and his old ones cohabited without a problem.

Mr. Gold experienced no remorse for getting rid of Zelena. If anything, he was seen as somewhat of a hero for destroying the monster by some of the residents. Belle neither condoned nor appreciated what he'd done, but she didn't guilt him for it either. Out of everyone, she was the one person who'd always seen the good in him, even when others couldn't. That didn't change just because his status in Storybrooke was beginning to. And, neither of them dwelled on the wicked woman, as Gold was finally given the chance to mourn the loss of Neal.

It was a hectic time for everyone. All of the heroes seemed to be treading through murky territory, just barely keeping their heads afloat. Loved ones had been lost, a town had been partially dismantled, a new heir to the Charming throne was still growing, and a budding romance was being overlooked by the two parties involved. Nothing was going the way anyone would have planned.

* * *

Neal's memorial service was held that Wednesday at eleven in the morning. Thanks to the preservation spell, he looked just as peaceful as Emma had last seen him. Per Gold's request, they dressed the man in the clothes he'd worn back int he Enchanted Forest, an eternal reminder of where he'd come from. No one objected to the wish, including Emma. She'd stopped fighting Neal's past and started to accept it.

There was no rain and there were no storm clouds above. But, there was no sunlight or blue sky either. It was a cool, early spring morning in the land; not warm enough to go jacket-less, but not cold enough to need an entire fleece. Intermittent winds waltzed through the burial grounds and swayed the trees in all different directions. Squirrels and chipmunks played a game of tag up and down tree trunks, a rather odd pairing. A flock of geese waddled through the grounds in search for their moist homeland, and a watchful hawk surveyed the area for breakfast. All traces of flying monkeys had vanished.

Emma was the first to arrive. She'd woken up at nine thirty, alone in the empty rental room. The weight of the day already crushed down on her as she slipped into black pants and a black, collared shirt. She wore the necklace that Neal had given her all those years ago; it'd been found along with his other possessions, which had been stuffed in a plastic bag at the hospital. Fond memories accompanied the elegant piece of jewelry, and that's just what Emma needed on a day like this. Zipping up her black parka, she slinked out of the Inn inconspicuously and walked to the cemetery. It was already 10:20 when she'd reached the pre-dug plot. This gave her some time to be with Neal before everyone else showed up.

There were no chairs to sit on, no programs printed out, and no lavish vases with flowers. It was a simple service, just as she was sure Neal would have wanted. Emma didn't know how many people were going to come, but she had an idea there would be a fair turnout. Since bringing him to Storybrooke, Neal was cordial to everyone, and he'd reconnected with old friends. He rarely rubbed anyone the wrong way, and most people had known either _of_ him, or knew him personally. He had his own reputation, one that he most definitely had lived up to.

The mahogany casket was already on the green belts that would lower it into the ground. The only decoration in the entire area was the bouquet of white roses that sat on top of the lid, tied together by a blue ribbon. They'd been freshly summoned by Gold, who had given them to Marco— the man behind the creation of the coffin— to put on the cover. Other than that, there was very little color at the site.

Pulling of her gloves one finger at a time, Emma took cautious steps towards the crate. It was as though she were walking on air; the ground below her felt nonexistent and with every inch that she gained, she wanted to turn and run away. When she landed right beside the wooden chamber, Emma peered down at the coffin silently. No words came out of her mouth as she stood, lost in her thoughts.

* * *

On the other end of town, Henry and Regina were just packing up to go. The boy had been relatively somber the evening before and had stayed as such after waking up. Regina didn't blame him for any of it; he was about to bury his father— a father he hardly got to spend much time with. He was bound to be upset today. In a new suit and tie, Henry sauntered through the front door and waited on the front steps for Regina. He played with the buttons on his sports coat absentmindedly, totally checked out of reality.

Finally, his mom appeared out of the front hallway in a charcoal dress and a black blazer. She wiped the milk mustache off of Henry's upper lip and fixed the out-of-place strands of hair, much to his own chagrin. It wasn't like people had seen it; he was in the clear. Still, being teenaged boy who's mom still licks her thumb before cleaning a smudge on your face was embarrassing. Finishing up, Regina locked the door, dropped her keys into her clutch and put a hand on her son's back. It was time to go.

They were supposed to meet the Charmings at their place and go together. Whose idea it was, Regina didn't actually know, but she had to admit, it wasn't a bad one. She was hoping it would make things easier for Henry to be surrounded by family. She just wasn't looking forward to being bombarded with more inquiries from David and Mary Margaret. She had a feeling Emma hadn't told them anything, and Regina definitely didn't want to be the one to break it to them.

As she and Henry traveled down the open sidewalk, Regina caught sight of Robin in Granny's Diner. He was sitting right by the window, drinking a cup of coffee; his profile revealed by the blinds. Henry didn't notice the man, but all the mattered was that Regina did. Almost as though she slammed on a car's breaks, the brunette halted sharply and glanced down at the confused kid. "Henry, why don't you continue to your grandparents'? I'll be there in a moment."

"You sure?" he frowned.

"Yes, it's all right. Go ahead," Regina ushered him on after kissing the top of his head. She watched as he moped up to the apartment doors. Then, she looked back at the thief in the window and braced herself for impact. Using all of her willpower, Regina open the door to the restaurant and walked up to the man. "I take it you're not going to the service?" she wondered shyly, motioning to his food-filled plates.

Burning his tongue on the scalding liquid, Robin shot out of his chair and dried his mouth with his sleeve. He'd been waiting as patiently as he could to see her again, to talk to her, to hear her voice. So many rumors had been floating around and he wasn't used to so much gossip. Robin didn't know what to believe anymore. Had she found her True Love? Did Regina really not love him? Standing there across from her after several days without any sort of contact, he was almost speechless. "I take it that you are?" he countered, eying her formal attire.

"He was Henry's father," Regina said, as if that were the only reason. She was finished with running away, she'd decided. No more excuses, no more hiding. It was time that she told Robin the truth; she didn't want anyone else getting hurt who didn't need to be. "Robin, here's the thing…" _Oh God, it's contagious,_ she thought to herself. "It's, um, may I?" she asked, pointing to a chair. Instantly, Robin slid out of the table, pulled the chair back for her like a gentleman, and sat back in his spot. Before letting her nerves steer her in the opposite direction, and taking a quick inventory of who was around them, Regina kept it short and to the point. "Many things are being said by many different people, and I know that not all of them are flattering; a pity of the contagious hearsay of this world. I am sorry that I haven't reached out to you, it- it all happened so fast." Listening with nonjudgemental eyes and attentive nodding, Robin made it even harder for Regina to make it to the finish line. "Things are complicated right now, you see. I… I've realized a lot in the last few days and… well…" Fishing out the ring she'd been carrying with her, the mayor pressed it into the palm of the man's hand. "You've given me more than anyone has in a very long time, and I want to thank you for that. I also want to apologize. You deserve find someone who can be what you need, Robin. You and Roland deserve your own happy ending." There. She'd said. Regina had finally done it.

Staring at the silver band and then up at the woman, the thief rubbed his forest-brown beard and pursed his lips together into a thin line; his green scarf hung loosely over his chest. Regina was expecting a shouting match, though she didn't know why. Robin wasn't the type of person to lose his temper or make a scene, especially not with her. She saw the contemplation in his face, as well as the disappointment. It was the same look Emma had the day Regina refuted her feelings towards her.

After a grueling few minutes, Robin gave Regina the ring back. "You keep it," he said purposely. "I gave it to you; you are its rightful owner."

"But, it's an engagement ring. I can't—"

"It means whatever you want it to mean, Regina," Robin cut in. He observed the brunette's stunned expression and even now, he still found it enchanting. "You should get going," he said. "For Henry."

The two adults stood in unison and lingered awkwardly. Neither of them knew what else to say, but Regina knew what she wanted to do. Resting her hands on his shoulders, she reached up and placed a ginger kiss on his scruffy cheek. "Thank you."

* * *

Regina was the last one to show up; she ended up teleporting to the courtyard after her interaction with Robin. Only close friends had gathered together to remember Neal, and in a way, Emma preferred a smaller group to a large entourage. There was only so much human interaction she could handle right now, less was more. The two people she wanted most to be there, Henry and Regina, were right next to her. Others gawked at the trio, but none of the targets paid any attention to it. The three of them were together again. That was all that mattered.

Once everyone had settled, silence engulfed the grieving individuals. No one had prepared a eulogy, mostly because no one had thought to. They'd all expected Emma to say something, a favorite poem of Neal's or favorite song lyrics. But, there were no words shared from either her or Gold. Not even Hook had anything he wanted people to know. This was a personal process, and they wanted to keep it like that.

When Neal's casket was lowered into the earth, Rumplestiltskin numbly moved forward and shoveled the first clump of dirt over his son. He wore Baelfire's blanket around his shoulders like a shawl, the last bit of his boy that he had. Belle went next, then the dwarves, Granny, Red, Archie, Blue, and Tinker Bell. One by one, they all released the clay over the encasement and returned to their spot in the clump. The Charmings went next, followed by Regina. Hook sullenly used his only hand and picked up the saturated dirt without the gardening utensil; he wanted to feel his last goodbye with his flesh and cherish this moment.

After saluting Neal with a pirate's adieu, it was Henry's turn. Emma pat his shoulder blades and nudged him forward, as the young man had zoned out into the last time he'd seen his father. Gripping the wooden stick, Henry scooped up small crumbles and sprinkled them into the abyss. "Bye, Dad," he lamented.

Finally, after everyone had gone, it was Emma's turn. The heat of Regina's gaze was the reminder that this was really happening; she really wasn't going to see Neal again. Henry gave his mother an encouraging hand squeeze, which propelled Emma forward. Making sure that her chain was still clasped around her neck, the blonde collected the last pile of soil, held it above the opening, waited just a moment. Tipping the spade over the grave, Emma let the contents slide down the trough. "Goodbye Neal."

When the sheriff resumed her spot and Henry's hand slipped into hers, another tsunami of silence concluded Neal's sendoff into the unknown. Guests began dripping out and were on their way back to town. Gold and Emma shared a tense second of eye-contact, more out of emotional duress than any disagreement. He and Belle disappeared through the rest of the cemetery, along with the other half of the attendees.

David and Mary Margaret gave their daughter comforting hugs, and while it made Emma want to cry even more, she managed to stay composed. "I'm sorry, Emma," her father said sincerely.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

"You know we're right here for you," her mother stressed. Her protruding abdomen created a fair amount of distance between her and Emma, one that Snow wished she could close. Having witnessed Regina's agony with Daniel, Mary Margaret feared that her daughter would succumb to the anguish all together. But Emma proved her wrong.

"Yeah, I know," the Savior said feebly. After promising she'd call them later and assuring them she'd be fine with Henry, Emma waved to her parents as they drove away in the truck.

Regina and Henry were standing under a blooming oak tree, contentedly chatting away, and Emma found solace in the fact that he knew who Regina was again. No more sugarcoating and no more guessing games. Henry knew everything that he used to know, plus a little more.

"Swan," Hook bowed amicably, forever in his black, leather gear. From his slightly swollen eyes and the faint trace of rum on his breath, Emma assumed he'd been drinking. Luckily for Hook though, he wasn't in too deep of a stupor to ruin the event. "How are you?"

In all of the excitement of the preceding days, it seemed as if people had asked her everything but that simple question. How was she? It was a valid question, but it was also one Emma didn't have an exact response to. "I'll let you know when I land," she mused.

"Fair enough." Hook peered over his own shoulder and saw the way Regina and Henry acted with one another; the only thing that was missing was his other mother. "Listen, love," the pirate began, turning back to Emma, "I'm not going to pretend that I understand what's going on, but I stand by my oath to you: I _will_ fight whoever or whatever to keep that heart of yours protected. Just promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"Make sure it's not a flying monkey," Hook said with a coy smile.

Before she could stop it, a hearty laugh escaped and rang through the somber space. She hadn't laughed in days, not like this. This was real laughter, the kind that took her away from her problems and worries, even if just for a second. "You got it, 'mate,'" Emma confirmed. "Thanks."

"My pleasure, Swan." Hook offered his hand, but instead, received a hug. In all of the time he'd been pursuing Emma, aside from the kiss in Neverland, they hardly even brushed shoulders. And now? Now he was getting the royal treatment, so to speak. "Go," he said as he tilted his head sideways. "Be with your family."

"Actually, do you mind taking Henry to Granny's? We'll be right behind you."

"Of course," Hook nodded.

Emma watched the way Regina lit up around their son, the way she beamed with pride at the young man. Likewise, Henry's recognition of the brunette was evident in his relaxed manner. On the outside, it was as if neither of them had ever been separated. Emma supposed that's how she knew Regina had been a good mother.

"Hey Kid," Emma beckoned. Henry said something to Regina before galloping up to his other mom. "Are you ok with Hook taking you to the diner? We'll meet you there."

"Uh, yeah, ok," Henry said.

"Great. You did a good job today."

"All I did was dump some dirt," the Truest Believer shrugged.

"Come on, you know you did more than that. Remember what I told you?" Emma combed his bangs to one side. "Neal never loved anyone as much as he loved you, I'm sure of it."

With Hook on one end of the yard and Regina on the other, Henry went into maturity mode. "He loved both of us, Mom." Stealing one more glance at the mayor before leaving, Henry got onto his tiptoes, cupped his mouth, and spoke in Emma's ear. "Are you going to tell her?"

Although she felt her face go hot, Emma replied calmly. "I think she already knows."

"What do you say, young man? Are you up for a race?" Hook called out to Henry, an effort to give the women the space to talk.

Giving Emma a peck on the cheek, her only son ran after the pirate, who was already losing. She and Regina joined in simultaneous giggling as they watched Henry beat the crap out of Hook. Regina's throaty guffaw is what brought Emma back to reality. Her legs acted of their own accord and carried her towards the Queen, never minding that her brain was telling them to stop. "Hey," Emma breathed.

"Hey yourself." Suddenly aware that it was just the two of them, Regina automatically went on the defensive.

"Look—"

"Emma—" they started at the same time. As if they were teenagers on a first date, they blushed and looked away.

"I know what you're gonna to say, but before you do, I wanted to tell you something," Emma sputtered.

"Actually, I don't think you do," Regina said nervously.

Not letting the woman explain, Emma trudged on. If she didn't say it now, then she never would and she'd have to live with the fact that she never told Regina how she really felt. Almost as if her engine had just been turned on, Emma let it all come pouring out. "I know that this all just sort of happened, and I get if you're freaking out because to be honest, I'm freaking out too. I mean, there's so much going on right now, you know? Like, breaking the curse together, finding out the Wicked Witch is real and that she was your sister, Neal… dying, you getting tossed around like a human wrecking, getting cursed again, and you waking me up. And I know neither of us said it before that night and we haven't seen much of each other since then, but I meant what I said, which is crazy because you're the Queen and I'm the Savior and you're engaged and—"

"No, I'm not," Regina cut off the hyperactive woman.

"And he seems like a cool guy and everything, so that's— wait… what?" Emma was panting heavily as her heart started doing backflips. "You're… you're not engaged?"

"I'm not engaged," the brunette repeated slowly. Emma immediately checked Regina's ring finger and was pleasantly surprised when she saw that it was empty. "I talked to him this morning. I didn't tell him about… whatever it is that we have, but I told him that he and I wouldn't work."

"And he just… what, he was ok with that?"

"It'll take some time, of course, but eventually, I hope so." Regina and Emma were just several feet away from one another, and with every second that ticked on, the gap closed by a centimeter. They earnestly took turns closing the rift that separated them, as if that rift were a metaphor for the rest of their lives.

Feeling as though an entire galaxy had been lifted from her back, Emma almost toppled over. But, there was still more she had to say. "Regina," she exhaled, "I… I love you, ok? Ever since I got back to this town and saw you in Granny's, I can't stop thinking about you. Even through everything that's gone down, I've never been more sure of this," she gestured between them. "I know it's probably a shitty thing to say at your ex-boyfriend's funeral, but I can't go another day without you knowing." She took two more steps towards Regina, who's jaw was hanging just slightly. "But," she said; Regina had anticipated as much. Emma enthusiasm abated as she forced herself to say this. "I love you because of who you are- the sassy, sarcastic, intelligent woman- not because some pixie dust told me to. And I don't want that to be the reason you feel like you have to be apart of this or love me back. I want you to love me for who _I_ am, and not for some tattoo."

A million and one thoughts were blasting through Regina's mind as she absorbed Emma's lengthy confession. She figured, however, that if she already knew, it didn't exactly count as a confession. Regina hadn't realized just how much she'd wanted to hear Emma say that until the sentiments had been shared. Channeling the blonde's infamous boldness, she was able to form a thorough response of her own. "You waltzed into this town two years ago with Henry, who I thought had been kidnapped. You chainsawed my apple tree, caused mayhem among the residents, brought my mother to this realm, broke a curse that wasn't mean to be broken, leapt off a pirate ship and got yourself knocked unconscious, you have absolutely no regard for authority— the list goes on!" Emma felt as if she were shrinking down to the size of a goldfish as Regina rattled off her biggest imperfections; she took all this to be a rejection. "But," it was the brunette's turn for a "but." "Most importantly, you made me love you. I... I have no idea how, but you did. I thought Henry was the only one I had room for. You brought laughter back into his life, Emma. You gave the people of this town hope, and most of all, you showed me that redemption was possible." The mayor took two steps inward until she and Emma were less than an inch away from each other. "I don't love you because the dust told me to, Emma. I loved you- the courageous, witty, and somewhat arrogant stranger before I even met Robin Hood, before I cared about that sign. I never thought I could feel anything like this again, and yet, here you are, showing me that it is possible."

"So… what are you saying?" Emma asked, rocking on her heels restlessly.

"You're a smart woman, Emma. You figure it out," Regina teased.

The two locked eyes intensely and they both knew; just like that, they knew what they were. Emma held Regina's face and their lips collided against each other's like a high tide crashing against boulders. The Savior's hands traveled down to the Queen's waist and Regina hugged the woman as close to her as she could until Emma's pulse shook both of their bodies like an earthquake.

With Emma, there were undeniable fireworks. There was a whole neon light show that emanated from their kiss. Sparks were ignited like a bonfire and soothed the women's anxiety until there was none left. They felt the warm tingling in their chests that people had described, but had never believed to be true. Neither of them had ever experienced anything like this; it was extraordinary. It was right.

Although their lips parted, neither Emma nor Regina let go of one another. It took them this to finally do this, they weren't in any hurry for it to end. This was what True Love felt like. It really was magic. The world around them faded into a white backdrop and nothing else mattered except for this, right here and right now. This was their time. They were finally one.

Pressing their foreheads together, they smiled with closed eyes, content with they way they were. "I love you, Regina Mills," Emma whispered.

As if those five words were her oxygen, the mayor sucked in a breath and tugged on the sheriff's outer layer until they couldn't be any closer. "I love you, Emma Swan."

Giving Regina another passionate kiss, Emma took the mayor's hand and squeezed it affectionately. "Let's go see our son."

Together, they walked through the open, undisturbed land; their footsteps matched in time with the other's. The sun finally made its long overdue appearance and beamed at the two women as they gracefully ambled through the yard. They weren't thinking about tomorrow or next week, they were hardly thinking about tonight. All that they could think about was right now, the fact that they just were. The future was a mystery to them, but one thing was certain: wherever their destinies took them, Emma and Regina were positive they'd be doing it as a family. Nothing could sever the bond that they all shared, not even another curse. And, if by some twist of fate they were separate again, the love that Swan-Mills family had could never been taken from them. Emma and Regina would always, always have Storybrooke.

* * *

**A/N** - And that concludes "We'll Always Have Storybrooke!" I hope that you all enjoyed this story! As I mentioned before, I'll be taking a week or two off from publishing, but I'll be back in a little while. Thanks for all of your kind reviews! They really mean a lot to me! Cheers, dearies!


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